28 Plants That Will Breathe New Life into Your Office

Whoever said only paydays can make employees happy and motivated to be productive, probably didn’t know that plants in the office can have the same effects on employees too!

Yes, plants. Those green leafy things in different kinds of pots, when added to a workplace, can actually bring significant changes. They can turn a dull workplace into a healthy, clean, and conducive place to be productive and accomplish a lot of things!.

These are just some of the countless benefits of having plants in your workplace.

Namely, certain plants can:

• Improve air quality inside the office
• Remove impurities
• Add a focal point to your work environment.
• Reduce work-related stress
• Enhance productivity by 12%
• Reduce absenteeism
• Reduce work-related illnesses
• Reduce noise which means reduced distractions
• Increase creativity
• Lower O&M (Operations and Maintenance) costs

Now, if you’re new to this going ‘green’ thing for your workplace, don’t worry. Here is a list of the best plants to get started with:

1. Jade Plant

The jade plant is a small succulent with small flowers and requires only minimal watering. Also called Crassula ovata, this plant is known as the “money plant” in Japanese folklore. It is said to bring financial success so it makes a lot of sense why it’s the number one plant you need to have in your office!

2. Bromeliads

If you’re in the mood for an ornamental and flowering plant, go for the Bromeliad. Bromeliads come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and foliage colours, making them great indoor plants. When placed in the right area, their rigid fleshy leaves can easily liven up a dull office space.

3. African Violet

The African violets, or Saintpaulia, are great plants to add colour and cheer to any area. While these flowering plants require a bit more maintenance than others, they’re only going to take up very little space, making them perfect for desks.

4. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

If you want to add a tropical flair to your workspace, then get a peace lily or Spathiphyllum. These plants can grow and bloom even in low lighting conditions. They are perfect for offices that do not have big windows. No wonder why they are one of the most popular office decors.

Also known as “Mauna Loa,” these plants prefer to be kept away from direct sunlight. They also grow best in moist conditions with lower levels of light, making them great for offices that are heavy on the air conditioning.

5. Chinese Evergreen

Also called “Aglaonema”, these plants make great office additions because they require very little maintenance and thrive in low light conditions. They also remove toxins from the air.

6. Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Sansevieria)

These plants can grow up to be two meters tall. They are linear plants with upright leaves. They can be perfect desk plants too as they can withstand most conditions and can even last for years when properly taken care of.

7. English Ivy

The English Ivy is also known as Hedera helix. It’s a clinging vine that can reduce airborne faecal matter particles and filter out formaldehyde.

As disturbing as it is to know those airborne particles exist, it’s good English Ivy can take care of it. This is another plant ideal for those stale office environments lacking a lot of fresh air circulating.

8. Walking Iris (Neomarica bicolour gracillis)

Also known as Apostle Plants, Walking Irises are hardy plants with leaves that arch and look like swords. They can grow up to be 60 cm long. Their orchid-like flowers grow at the tip of stems and usually last for only a day. These plants need lots of moisture and they look perfect indoors.

9. Parlor Palm

The Parlor Palm is actually a small palm tree, also known as Chamaedorea elegans. If you’re looking for ways to separate spaces in your office, this plant is your best bet. The Parlor Palm is perfect for offices because it adds a relaxing, tropical feel and doesn’t require a lot of light.

10. Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

The leaves of a snake plant can grow fairly tall. They come with shooting dark green leaves that have bands of a bright yellow-green on the outside. These plants are great as natural partitions in the workplace.

11. Gerber Daisy

Aside from being attractive decors to your office, Gerber Daisies, also known as Gerbara, are also great at filtering toxins like benzene (a substance that can be emitted by some printing systems.)

12. Philodendrons

If you would like to add some height to small areas in the office, get these large climbers. The best part is, these plants can survive even with very little maintenance.

13. Cactus

These plants come in different varieties, sizes, and shapes. They look great on desks but take note that they require a lot of sunlight. So, if your office is dimly lit, make sure they are placed near a window so they still get a lot of sunlight.

14. Warneck Dracaena (Dracaena reflexa)

These shrubs can grow tall enough to be perfect dividers for different office areas. They help combat pollutants from varnishes and oils. This plant is ideal for offices with hardwood floors.

15. Ming Aralia

Also great for offices that require privacy between workstations. The Ming Aralia or Polyscias fruticosa are also tall, bushy plants that doesn’t require too much maintenance. Just water it every couple of weeks.

16. Spider Plant

Spider plants are also known as Chlorophytum comosum. They are often displayed in hanging baskets and are one of the easiest plants to grow indoors, making them great office space decor.

17. Fiddle-leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata)

Fiddle-leaf Figs also have a tropical look with their long stems and large glossy leaves. They are actually one of the trendiest plants to have right now. These plants are best placed where there is plenty of light as it tends to stretch in low light conditions.

18. Weeping Fig

The weeping figs are large plants that can filter pollutants such as such as formaldehyde and benzene as well as other pollutants found in carpets and furniture.

19. Aloe

These plants are usually small in size so they easily fit on desks. Their air-filtering qualities also have the ability to remove pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene from the air. Aside from purifying the air, Aloe also has a gel inside the plant that can be used to treat wounds and burns.

20. Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis)

These plants come with dark green, glossy leaves and can thrive even in low light conditions. Just make sure to place them in a corner where they won’t get damaged by passing traffic.

21. Umbrella Tree

Umbrella Trees can grow to be quite tall, making them perfect for creating office privacy. They also come in smaller dwarf versions you can put on desktops.

22. Yucca (Yucca elephantipes)

Yuccas are one of the most versatile indoor plants. They have long woody stems and large strappy leaves, perfect for offices. While they prefer high levels of light, yuccas usually survive neglect rather well so they would definitely make great additions to your office.

23. Fittonia

Sometimes referred to as the nerve or mosaic plant, Fittonias can thrive on the fluorescent light so they work well in offices.

Plus, the over-sized, inside-out look on the leaves of the Fittonia can serve as quite a focal point in your office space.

24. Zanzibar Gem (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

Zanzibar Gems grow even in dry, shaded areas, making them perfect office plants because they can survive an amazing amount of neglect. During winter, just water them less and clean the leaves by wiping them with a damp cloth.

25. Pothos

The Pothos or Epipremnum aureum are flowering plants perfect for desktops. They may require occasional trimming but aside from that, these plants are very low maintenance and can be left on a desk for lengthy periods without needing much care.

26. Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)

Madagascar Dragon Trees have tall snake-like trunks and green and pink leaves. They can grow up to 3 metres high and they look best in a well-lit space to maximise leaf colouring.

27. Azalea

Azaleas are flowering shrubs that thrive in cold environments and can filter the air to combat formaldehyde.

28. Mixed Garden

If you can’t decide which plant to add to your workplace, why not go for multi-grouped plantings? These plants are designed for desktops and other areas in the office where there is enough lighting. Use cork mats or velcro tapes to make sure your tables and workstations are protected from water damage or scratches.

Imagine how much better your office is going to look and feel with these plants all around. Imagine how much happier, healthier, and more productive your employees are going to be if they are surrounded with stress-busting, energising, air-purifying plants in their workplace.

If this list of beautiful plants doesn’t convince you of getting some for your office space yet, then you are definitely missing out.

But while adding plants inside your office is a great step at going “green”, also consider improving your workplace hygiene.

Alsco offers quality and sustainable solutions to achieving your workplace’s “green goals”. From mats to odour control, from washroom to hand hygiene, Alsco offers services that can be tailored to every businesses’ needs.

Take your next step to having a clean and green workplace now. Call Alsco today! Our friendly staff are more than happy to assist you.

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