There’s a reason why the quintessential image of a girl standing under a waterfall in a jungle is used time and time again in shampoo commercials- rejuvenation and freshness are only one step away! Lately plant stylists and interior designers have taken a cue from this and one often now sees plants hanging in showers, making them lush oasis’s. Plant lovers rejoice! Not only can showers be a perfect, healthy place for your indoor plants but they also are a decor option for a bathroom needing a bit more green.
There are however some things to take into consideration when installing plants in your shower. In this post I’ll go through some of the most important elements:
what plants can I use?
When you’re considering what plants to use in your shower display, think rain forrest and hardy. This may seem obvious but not all plants like the humidity or can put up with the flecks of hot water. For example a Calathea Orbifolia, which originates from Bolivian rain forests are quite fussy and won’t deal too well with the hot water on their sensitive leaves. A Monstera Deliciosa on the other hand is a hardier plant and will be fine. Here’s are some plants that should adapt well to your shower:
- Monstera Deliciosa
- Selloum Philodendron
- Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum)
- Asparagus Fern (Asparagus aethiopicus)
- Rojo Congo Philodendron
- Heart Leaf Philodendron (hederaceum or scandens)
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
- Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
- Tarantula Cactus Plant (Cleistocactus winteri)
TO HANG OR TO STAND
If you’re going to hang your plants, you can either insert a bar across your shower or you can install hooks from the ceiling. If you’re lucky enough your shower might even come with a built in bar. A hanging position is great for a plant that doesn’t need too much water because the excess water can drip off the plant and the possibility of root rot is minimal.
Standing plants can look great and are a great way to go if you don’t want to spend the time or effort in installing a bar or hooks in the ceiling. One way to really accentuate your standing plants is to have them at different levels. This calls for the use of a plant stand. You want to be careful here, because untreated metal or wood stands will leave your plant furniture worse for wear.
other considerations
Hot water and plants do not traditionally go together and if you shower for 15 minutes on the hottest setting, your plants are likely to suffer. If you have space hang or place your plants away from the shower head so that the plants don’t get the full blast of all the hot water. Light is an important factor. My shower has a bright window right next to it, so I’m able to fit a lot of plants in that aren’t usually suitable for a bathroom. Take this into consideration when choosing plants for your shower.
The most important thing, is to enjoy the process of greenifying your shower. See what works for you and your plants. The goal is to have a comfortable and enjoyable shower while giving your plants a perfect place to grow.