Houseplants that like bathrooms and bright light

[Weepingwillows12]

My bathroom is south facing, small and has a big window so gets a lot of light (no corners not hit by the light). Gets hot and humid when the shower is on but then colder (not cold, prob 18-20 degrees). Have tried a couple of things there (ivy, calathea) but I don't think they liked it (maybe the temperature change?) so have moved them. Googled what would work and all the tips seem to be for plants that like relatively dark rooms which are humid.

Any ideas?

Are you planning to put the plants in the windowsill or elsewhere in the bathroom? I read an article some years ago that suggested that the light level drops off quite considerably as you move away from the window, so recommendations for dark humid rooms might work well.

Also, remember that plants don't actually like the dark per se - after all, they need light to photosynthesise. What they like is either beating the competition for light, or avoiding the competition. Some of them avoid the competition by learning to tolerate lower light conditions, but that doesn't mean to say they will object to getting more light - the only thing they won't like is direct sunshine, as they won't have needed to develop protection against this.

So I think you'd need sun tolerant species for the windowsill itself, but "dark and humid" plants for further into the room.

Of course, in the wild, "hot and humid" generally means rain forest, therefore not sun tolerant. So you might be looking for something from a more temperate region that lives out in the open but is used to prolonged rain (and therefore moist atmosphere).

Or you could try a peace lily, which seems to thrive everywhere.

Thanks. Was planning on putting it on a little shelf opposite the window (about a metre) away. I have a peace lilly but it's too big for the space I have.

I've seen Staghorn ferns (Platycerium bifurcatum) successfuly growing in bathrooms. I love them.

Have also look at Saxifraga stolonifera and Peperomia quadrangularis.

Both are hardy and would happily grow in the sun in bathrooms.

Thanks. Will take a look. What do you think on crotons? Never grown them before but thinking maybe would work?

Christmas cactus. Dirt cheap from Lidl

Croton should be fine too providing there's no scorching sun directly scorching leaves. It's soil should be quite rich and fast draining. You need to feed it too with acidic fertilizers, as for watering it - do it with boiled and cooled down water. Put few stones underneath the bottom if it's pot, they hate "wet feet" so the water from watering should drip down.
They don't like to be moved between different environments/rooms. Are you going to open that window?
Is the bathroom likely going to be quite warm? They prefer 60-80 F degree range
Choose variegated variety as they prefer direct light.
If repotting use soil of 4.5-6.5 pH, rich in organic matter.

I have a spider plant on my bathroom windowsill, it seems very happy!

Hmm that sounds perhaps too complicated for me then. I need relatively unkillable plants. I have a calathea I think I am killing at the moment despite my best efforts.

a lot of plants die because soil we buy them in is too poor to support them

where in the house is your calathea? they hate cold, drafts, and sudden temperature fluctuations and also need soil which easily drain - is it perhaps sitting in some water ?

Have you tried Pothos (Devil’s ivy)?

The calathea was in the bathroom. Its pot sits on some pebbles in another pot. I moved it because it's going brown on the leaves (which I think is either too much water or not enough but I was trying to water when soil was dry to touch). The bathroom does get a change in temperature die to the shower so have moved it to the hall and gambled on not enough water so will see how it does! Been misting it. I only got it at Christmas and havnt reported as assumed the soil the garden centre used (bakker) would be ok? I am planning to report some of my others in spring.

Havent tried pothos. I have a hedera Pittsburgh green but that's in my bedroom as I wanted it away from young kids and cats.

I might look at spider plants as think the kids will like them.

I've got a spider plant and a peace lily in my bathroom. I also have a window sill full of small spider plants... DD was going to take the babies to her uni friends but there wasn't room in the car. Those are in full sunlight, in a room which I use for drying clothes which has variable humidity.

I've got a devils ivy that has done very well in the bathroom window (east facing)

I had a spider plant which in my bathroom which did well.