Best plants
A steamy bathroom or kitchen is wasted on a cactus. These species genuinely want the higher humidity that most homes only have in those rooms — or near a humidifier.
How this list is built: houseplants whose documented ideal humidity is 50% or higher— filtered from Growli's structured plant-care library, not hand-picked, so it stays consistent and checkable.
| Plant | Light | Water | Pets |
|---|---|---|---|
| African violet | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top of the soil feels just dry, every 5-7 days | Pet-safe |
| Air plant | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Soak weekly for 20-30 minutes | Pet-safe |
| Alocasia | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2 cm of soil is dry, every 5-7 days | Toxic to pets |
| Anthurium | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 3 cm of soil is dry, every 5-7 days | Toxic to pets |
| Areca palm | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2 cm of soil is dry, every 5-7 days | Pet-safe |
| Arrowhead plant | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Begonia | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Weekly watering | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Bird of paradise | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | When the top 3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Boston fern | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 1 cm of soil is just dry, every 3-5 days | Pet-safe |
| Bromeliad | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Keep the central cup filled, soil barely moist | Pet-safe |
| Caladium | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 1-2 cm of soil is dry, every 4-7 days | Toxic to pets |
| Calathea | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 1-2 cm of soil is just dry, every 4-7 days | Pet-safe |
| Cattleya orchid | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the bark mix is nearly dry, every 5-10 days | Pet-safe |
| Christmas cactus | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Pet-safe |
| Coleus | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 1-2 cm of soil is dry, every 4-7 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Cordyline | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Toxic to pets |
| Crocodile fern | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 1-2 cm of soil is dry, every 4-7 days | Pet-safe |
| Croton | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2 cm of soil is dry, every 5-7 days | Toxic to pets |
| Dendrobium orchid | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the bark approaches dryness, every 5-10 days in summer | Pet-safe |
| Dieffenbachia | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Toxic to pets |
| Elephant ear | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Soil should stay consistently moist during the growing season | Toxic to pets |
| Fishtail palm | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 5-7 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Fittonia | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 1 cm of soil is dry, every 3-5 days | Pet-safe |
| Flowering coleus | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Twice-weekly watering | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Guzmania | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Keep the central cup filled; water soil weekly | Pet-safe |
| Impatiens | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Twice-weekly watering | Pet-safe |
| Kimberly queen fern | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 2 cm of soil is dry, every 5-7 days | Pet-safe |
| Lady palm | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Pet-safe |
| Lemon button fern | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 1-2 cm of soil is dry, every 4-7 days | Pet-safe |
| Maidenhair fern | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Keep evenly moist — often every 2-3 days | Pet-safe |
| Majesty palm | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Keep soil consistently moist, every 4-7 days | Pet-safe |
| Ming aralia | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Monstera | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Norfolk Island pine | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Pet-safe |
| Orchid | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Once a week — soak the medium thoroughly, then drain | Pet-safe |
| Parlor palm | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 2 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Pet-safe |
| Peace lily | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | As soon as the leaves start to droop slightly, usually every 5-7 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Philodendron | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Philodendron micans | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Polka dot plant | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 1-2 cm of soil is dry, every 4-7 days | Pet-safe |
| Prayer plant | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 1 cm of soil is just dry, every 4-6 days | Pet-safe |
| Rex begonia | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 1-2 cm of soil is dry, every 5-7 days | Toxic to pets |
| Silver pothos | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Staghorn fern | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Soak the mount weekly in summer, every 2-3 weeks in winter | Pet-safe |
| Swiss cheese vine | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 5-7 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Tree philodendron | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Vriesea | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Keep central cup filled; water soil weekly | Pet-safe |
| Wax plant | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the soil is dry, every 10-14 days | Pet-safe |
| White bird of paradise | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
This list is not hand-picked for looks. It is houseplants whose documented ideal humidity is 50% or higher, drawn from Growli's structured plant-care library so the selection is consistent and checkable. 49 plants qualify today.
Growli currently lists 49 plants that meet the criterion (houseplants whose documented ideal humidity is 50% or higher). The list updates as the plant-care library grows; each entry links to a full care guide.
Not necessarily — this list is selected by houseplants whose documented ideal humidity is 50% or higher, not by pet safety. Each plant is tagged with its pet-safety status below, and links to a full ASPCA-sourced pet-safety guide. If you have pets, see the dedicated best pet-safe houseplants list.