Even those with self-declared green thumbs are guilty of being a ‘plant murderer.’
Maybe it was too much water, not enough sunlight, or the pot was placed in an awkward area.
But scientists have revealed one room in the home that can provide the right environment and lighting for your potted plants – a sunny bathroom.
A recent study conducted by researchers in the UK found that humidity-filled rooms can boost a plant’s growth by five times.
The team suggested that a bright, humid room mimics the plant’s natural habitat since most people choose tropical vegetation to decorate their homes.
A pothos or ‘devil’s ivy’ on a shelf in the shower. This plant is native to French Polynesia in the South Pacific. A pothos living in high humidity grew 158 percent more than one grown in ambient humidity, according to a study on houseplants
‘Plants that love humidity are great for bathrooms and will thrive because the bathroom replicates their natural tropical climate,’ Morag Hill, co-founder of The Little Botanical, told Homes & Gardens, told Homes and Gardens.
‘They’re often hot, humid and bright, which are three things moisture-loving plants need to be happy and healthy.’
Many of our common houseplants are understory plants from the tropical or subtropical regions of the world.
In one study, conducted in February, researchers in Norway found the bathroom can be one of the most humid rooms in the home, making it feel like a taste of home for those plants.
And if multiple people share a bathroom, plants have even more humidity to soak up.
Three common species of houseplants living in humid conditions grew much larger than their cousins grown in ambient humidity, according to a February study in the journal Plant, Cell & Environment.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham looked at three common houseplants: anthurium, pothos (or devil’s ivy), and heartleaf philodendron.
The team grew the plants in custom growth chambers where they could control the environment.
The heartleaf philodendron is native to Central America and the Caribbean. It will survive dry air, but it will thrive under high humidity
One was kept at 45 percent humidity, and the other was kept at 99 percent – and both chambers received the same amount of light and heat.
After three months, scientists measured the difference between the groups.
The team found that each plant in the high-humidity chamber grew much more than its counterpart.
The low-humidity pothos grew 432 percent larger during the study period, while the high-humidity pothos grew by 682 percent – 58 percent more growth.
Same with the heartleaf philodendron.
The low-humidity specimen grew 114 percent past its initial weight, but the high-humidity one increased by three times more: 352 percent.
The anthurium grown in high humidity had the most significant increase in biomass.
It grew 94 percent larger than its starting size, 5.5 times as much as the low-humidity one, which grew only 17 percent.
But, not all experts agree that the bathroom is the best place for plants.
‘The perception that the bathroom has higher humidity is too often overemphasized,’ houseplant expert Darryl Cheng told DailyMail.com.
Cheng is the author of ‘The New Plant Parent’ and creator of the House Plant Journal.
‘Yes, the humidity goes up during a shower but quickly returns to average room temperature and humidity once the door is opened. We shouldn’t treat the bathroom as if it consistently had higher humidity than the rest of the house – it’s not a greenhouse!’
But if your bathroom has windows or a skylight, you may find that your plants do quite well there.
The combination of bright light and high humidity can make many houseplants thrive.
After all, light is the most important thing to consider, said Cheng – ‘namely, the size of the window, which, for most bathrooms, probably isn’t the biggest.’
His solution? Put a few plants on a rotation.
‘Buy three plants – keep two right on the windowsill of a large window and one in the dark bathroom,’ he said.
‘Every month or two, rotate the bathroom plant with one of the windowsill plants so it can replenish itself via photosynthesis.’
Having two plants on standby will ensure they recover for a long enough period.
And Cheng has three plants that he thinks are tough enough to do well in this rotation: pothos, ZZ and snake.
