Getting plants for your office is an effective way to boost not only your productivity but also your happiness and that of your coworkers! Considering the office is like a second home for many of us, making small changes that can have a large ROI in terms of our mood is essential for our health and wellness. Several studies have evidenced plants have positive impacts on our well-being, but how do you keep them alive, and which plants are best in the office?
Having plants in your office is supposed to boost productivity, not divert your time to caring for them, which is why we’ve gathered some of the best plants for your office that are easy to take care of:
Easy office plants for beginners
1. Aloe
Aloe plants are a group of hardy succulents that isn’t just limited to aloe vera. There are actually hundreds of different species of Aloe, albeit some are easier to buy than others. Regardless of the species you pick out, they all love lots of bright indirect light and should only be watered once the top couple inches of soil has dried out completely.
2. Pothos
Also known as Devil’s Ivy, this crawling plant is incredibly easy to take care of and grows quite quickly. Although they prefer bright indirect light, they can put up with brighter rooms as well as lower-light offices. They’re also fairly forgiving of infrequent watering, so you don’t have to stress when you forget. Just keep an eye out for warning signs, such as yellow leaves that indicate overwatering or a droopy plant, which indicates it’s become too dry.
3. Cacti
Cacti are great low-maintenance plants if you have the light for them. They require a significant amount of sunlight, so you’ll need large windows or a window sill. Other than that, they rarely need to be watered and are incredibly hardy.
4. Rubber Tree
The rubber tree plant has been overshadowed in recent years by the widely popular Fiddle-Leaf Fig, but it is still a stunning plant to have at the office and is much lower maintenance than it’s popularized cousin.
These guys should be kept in a bright spot that gets indirect sun and only needs to be watered enough to keep the soil moist. The leaves will tell you if you’re doing something wrong. If they begin to yellow, less water. If they start drooping, water it more.
Best plants for offices with low light
5. Snake Plant
Also known as Mother-In-Law’s Tongue, the snake plant is one of the easiest plants to care for and is incredibly tolerant of low-light environments, such as the office. They only need to be watered once a month and it’s almost as if they thrive on neglect.
6. Jade Plant
A shrub-like succulent, the Jade plant is also known as the lucky plant or money plant because of its popularity as a good luck charm throughout Asia. These plants only require medium light for a few hours every day, so they can sit just about anywhere in your office. They also don’t need a lot of water, so you should let the soil dry out between watering.
7. English Ivy
English Ivy is an evergreen climbing vine that’s relatively easy to care for. While first adjusting to the new environment of your office they’ll require more frequent watering. But once established, they’re pretty tolerant of dry conditions and don’t need a lot of light.
8. ZZ Plant
If you’re convinced that you can’t keep an office plant alive, give it one more go with the ZZ plant. They’re known to be one of the hardest plants to kill, putting up with low light conditions and going months without water, all while maintaining great looking foliage. The only sure way to kill this plant is overwatering or bright direct sunlight. If the leaves are curling or yellowing try watering them less.
These guys should be kept in a bright spot that gets indirect sun and only needs to be watered enough to keep the soil moist. The leaves will tell you if you’re doing something wrong. If they begin to yellow, less water. If they start drooping, water it more.
Stunning office plants that take a bit more effort
9. Money Tree
Officially known as a Guiana Chestnut, the money tree is the second plant on our list that’s popular amongst feng shui practitioners. Often bought when they’re less than a foot tall, these can mature into office trees as tall as 6-8 feet high, much like the fiddle leaf fig.
Compared to some of the other plants on this list, the money tree is a bit more fickle when it comes to watering and light. It’s best to water them once the topsoil dries out, but don’t let it stay dry for long otherwise leaves may start to drop. Keep them in a spot with bright indirect light, but once there try not to move. They’re sensitive to changes in the environment.
10. Monstera
Also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant, Monsteras are unique plants characterized by their large dramatic leaves adorned with interesting holes and slits. They lend a classy, tropical vibe to any space thanks to their stunning leaves and aren’t crazy difficult to care for.
Much like the money tree, they like to be watered when the top couple inches of soil has dried. Don’t soak the soil, and don’t get the leaves wet. In terms of sunlight, they like it bright and indirect. While they can tolerate some lower light situations, they grow faster and their leaves get bigger in a bright spot.
11. Fiddle Leaf Fig
These beautiful office trees are stunning and can completely transform your office space, providing a strong connection to nature within your workspace. But they can be rather fickle. They don’t like: drafts, soil that is too wet, soil that is too dry, too much sun, not enough sun, dry air, or pesky pests (no plant likes these).
Though notoriously difficult to take care of, they aren’t any more complicated than the other plants we’ve mentioned above. With the right mix of watering and light your fiddle leaf fig can thrive. Their natural environment is hot, humid, and it rains often but lightly, while the sun dries up moisture quickly. You can emulate this in the office as long as you have lots of light, that’s the one requirement if you want to give this guy a shot.
How to manage all of your new plants for the office
There’s a wide selection of plant care apps in the App Store, and you could even use a spreadsheet or to-do list to remember when to care for your office plants, but our favorite option is Planta. It’s the most comprehensive app we’ve found for taking care of our office plants and makes our lives easier.
Planta is a free app that lets you create spaces and add your plants. It provides detailed information regarding the watering schedule, light requirements, repotting, fertilizers, pet-safety, and so on. It also keeps track of reminders for every plant for tasks like watering and misting. The UX is clean and intuitive, making it a no-brainer for the office plant novice.
The best office plants aren’t just for aesthetics
These office plants are great for freshening up your office and adding a pop of green, but the benefits go beyond that. Considering they are linked to improved productivity and mental recovery, adding plants in your office can have a profound impact on your overall health.
