cactus in bathroom shelf

Do Cactus do Well & Live in Bathrooms?

A touch of greenery can instantly elevate the appearance of your bathroom. Cactuses serve that purpose beautifully as its cheap, require less maintenance in comparison with other tropical plants, and have utterly unique features that make them stand out.

Do cactus do well & live in bathrooms? Cactuses can not only live in bathrooms they can really thrive well there. Some cactuses can survive in low light and humid conditions. The bathroom is an ideal habitat for them. These cactuses can absorb the excess moisture from the air and use it for their own purposes.

Do Succulents Grow well in Bathrooms, in general?

Succulents are highly adaptive plants that are prone to survive in extreme conditions. Yet, all succulents are not the same. Some varieties of succulents can do well with high humidity in the air.  Many succulents can even absorb the excess humidity in the bathroom air and store the water in the leaves and stems. These succulents are just ideal to be grown in the bathroom.

They also do well in coping up with low light conditions. Water them from time to time when the potting soil feels really dry, have them placed beside the window if possible and they will be good to go. So yes succulents can grow really well in the bathroom.

They are quite easy to take care of and you literally have loads of varieties to choose from.

Also Read: 7 Gorgeous Succulents for Balcony You”ll Wish You”d Known Sooner

What do Cactus need to Survive?

  • Cactus loves indirect bright light throughout the day. Always place them in a room beside a window that gets sufficient light for at least 4-6 hours a day. Even though selective breeds of cactuses can adapt to low light conditions, they still need sunlight to some extent to do photosynthesis and survive.
  • Cactuses can tolerate dry and drought-prone conditions yet they love humidity. In due course of evolution, cactuses have adapted themselves with water-scarce conditions as a consequence of which they can absorb the excess moisture in the air. However, the moisture need varies from one type to another. The humidity level of the bathroom is quite high and not all cactuses cope up with so much water in the air.
  • Superior Drainage: Cactuses like all succulents love good drainage. This is their fundamental need without which they cannot survive. Always grow them in a drainage friendly soil. If possible grow them in pots having drainage holes.
  • Mediocre to Higher temperatures: Most cactuses are not frosting tolerant at all. So they do well indoors especially during the winter.

cactus in a pot can be placed in bathroom

Can You keep Cactus in the Bathroom?

Cactuses are one of the few selective breeds of plants you can grow in the bathroom. Bathrooms remain excessively humid all the time. There are some specific varieties of cactus which do remarkably well coping with a high amount of moisture in the air. They absorb the moisture and store the water for future use.

Most indoor cactuses love filtered indirect sunlight and have a small stature making them ideal as house plants. So in case, your bathroom gets sufficient light all day, everything will be just fine. In other instances, you can always take the help of artificial to grow lights.

Pros of Growing Cactus in the Bathroom

  • Will provide a soothing touch of greenery in the blunt bathroom ambiance: Cactuses have a striking appearance that is bound to catch notice. This is one of the main reasons why cactuses are so popularly grown indoors. They are wonderful decorative plants that you can grow in colorful pots or even in glass aquariums! However, make sure to have drainage holes at the bottom of every container.
  • Helps in air purification to some extent: As per the research done by NASA, certain succulents can remove some prominent toxins from the air including formaldehyde, toluene, benzene, etc. The general suggestion is to have at least two small houseplants every 100 square feet (Source). Succulents act as natural air purifiers and hence can be a great addition in the bathroom provided you dont have allergies to plants.
  • Will provide a continuous dose of fresh oxygen: Cactuses use the carbon dioxide we breathe out for photosynthesis and provide fresh oxygen into the air. So having a constant source of fresh oxygen especially in the bathroom is a handy thing to have. However, having just one plant won’t be a huge difference but its a start. You can definitely multiply the number later on.
  • It will make you feel more relaxed: The bathroom is the ultimate place for refreshment for everyone. Having plants at any place can help you to be calmer, feel more relaxed, and in combating loneliness.

Also Read:

Where can You keep Cactus in the Bathroom?

There are loads of ways you can decorate your bathroom with cactuses.

  • Hanging Baskets: You can keep cactuses as hanging plants, near the window, or at a place where it won’t get splashed with water. This is a handy option to explore if you have a shortage of space.
  • On the Bathtub Tray: This indeed looks quite classy and if the bathtub is white then it looks stunningly gorgeous because of the contrast.
  • Window Still: Go for this option if your bathroom has low light conditions.
  • Beside the Wash Basin: This is always a fundamental place to keep your cactuses if you dont wanna experiment too much.
  • On-wall shelf: However make sure the place receives just enough sunlight or the plant can show signs of stretching.
  • Just beside the wall mirror: The reflection of the plant on the mirror will look marvelous every time someone enters through the door.

cactus to grow indoors

What are the best Cactus for the Bathroom?

The majority of cactus does not like to be kept under extremely humid conditions. However, there are many exceptions. So always make sure the cactus type you are looking to buy for your bathroom likes high humidity in the air. Some cactuses that like high moisture in the air are as follows:

  • Pincushion cactus
  • Christmas Cactus
  • Orchid cacti
  • Mistletoe cacti

How to take Care of the Cactus in the Bathroom?

Cactuses are known to be quite hardy plants that can cope up with neglect to some degree. I have found this to be true especially when compared with other tropical plants. However, that should never be the case.

  • Always make sure their basic requirements of light and water are met and everything will be fine.
  • Pot them in a cactus mix soil in a pot with a drainage hole.
  • Water them only when the potting soil feels dry. They can cope up with underwatering but not with overwatering.
  • You can fertilize the plant once a year just before the growing season. Use a well-balanced fertilizer little low in nitrogen content after diluting it with water.

In case you wanna grow the cactus in pots without drainage holes or in decorative glass containers, refer these posts:

Conclusion

Having cactus in the bathroom is the cheapest decorative yet elegant touch you can put to your home.

Apart from striking visual aspects having green plants any place indoors is remarkably good for our health as well as helps in fixing atmospheric carbon dioxide into oxygen. If you wanna enjoy a healthy dose of ultimate fresh air in the house, it is ideal to have at least 2 small pots every 100 square feet, so about 15-18 plants in an 1800 square feet area.

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