The Best Indoor Office Plants

Office Plants: Why to Have Them & Which Ones are Best

Following changes in how offices are designed, many companies are focusing more on making workplaces feel comfortable and welcoming. One simple way to do this is by adding indoor plants. They help brighten up the space and can make the office feel more pleasant to work in.

Research has shown that plants can have several benefits on employees, from boosting mood to improving productivity. In addition, some plants can improve the air quality by removing toxins from the air, as well as increasing humidity levels.

It’s important to note that many different types of indoor plants can thrive in an office, depending on the water and light available. While some indoor plants and flowers are more low-maintenance, like succulents and cacti, others need a bit more care to thrive, depending on their origin and maintenance requirements.

In this article, we’re going to take a deeper look at why plants are good for the office. We’ll also explore the range of indoor office plants you could add to your space, from the impact they can have on employees and the office environment, to the air qualifying purities they can have.

Why Have Plants in the Office?

Studies have found that having plants in your office can have several benefits. These include an overall improvement in employees’ mood, a reduction in stress and anxiety, boosted productivity, and increased energy levels.

Indoor office plants can add colour to office rooms, and are therefore great for interior design. Delving deeper, though, they can also create a calming atmosphere and improve mental health.

It’s important to note, however, that different indoor office plants and flowers can often have different effects on employees, depending on colours and appearances.

Can Indoor Office Plants Help Improve Air Quality?

As well as improving employees’ mood and energy levels, indoor office plants have been proven to improve air quality in an office.

The Approved Code of Practice establishes that in a workplace, the indoor air quality should be as good as, if not better than, the air quality outside.

When it comes to improving the air quality in your office, it’s important to consider indoor pollution and levels of carbon dioxide in the air, and how you can negate this.

Studies have found that adding office plants to an indoor space can help with indoor pollution, to a certain extent, depending on the types of plants used.

This is because plants can help remove carbon dioxide from the air, which is a pollutant that can be found in many indoor environments like offices.

Later on in this article, we will be looking into which plants can help clean the air in offices.

Interior Design Benefits

As we’ve mentioned above, indoor office plants can add a pop of colour to an office interior.

Sometimes, due to restrictions, you might not be able to decorate or paint your office in the colours you’d like. In these situations, more vibrant plants can help brighten up your office space.

Bright colours in offices can promote higher energy levels and productivity in employees, which is another reason as to why you should have office plants.

What Are The Best Office Plants?

So, if you’re looking to add an indoor office plant, or multiple, into your office space, here are a few ideas:

Spider Plant

Firstly, spider plants make an ideal indoor office plant because they are low-maintenance and they don’t need full sun, meaning they’re ideal for offices with cubicles and similar structures.

Secondly, spider plants can help purify the air in your office. A recent study showed that they are great at removing VOCs and similar pollutants from the air.

Finally, spider plants’ long leaves look excellent on higher shelves, adding a touch of drama and nature to any office.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is often known for its soothing properties, often used as aftercare for sunburns and other injuries.

However, it is also a good option for an indoor office plant. As a succulent, aloe vera plants don’t need as much water and care as other indoor plants, making it ideal for an office.

In addition, aloe vera is well-known for producing oxygen during the night, helping improve the air quality in the room.

Aloe vera is also great from an aesthetic perspective – like other succulents, it’s very pleasing on the eye, and will look great in any office environment.

Snake Plant

The snake plant, also known as Dracaena Trifasciata, is an ideal option for cubicles and offices with similar layouts.

This plant copes well even without much light, and they don’t need constant watering, meaning they’re fairly low-maintenance and can cope with most conditions, unless they are overwatered.

In addition, snake plants are great when it comes to improving the air quality. They are able to absorb toxins in the air, making sure it is clean and safe for employees to breathe.

From an aesthetic perspective, when looked after properly, they’re a beautiful vibrant green colour, adding brightness to any office.

Bamboo Palm

Bamboo palm is one of the most well-known indoor plants when it comes to maintaining good air quality, due to its ability to remove formaldehyde and xylene from the air.

Another aspect which makes bamboo palm an ideal office plant is that it increases humidity. In an office, especially when employees are working on a screen all day, low levels of humidity can lead to eye problems and fatigue.

In these cases, using humidifiers can help keep the humidity levels between the ideal 40% and 70%. In addition, adding a plant like a bamboo palm can also help improve humidity.

ZZ Plant

The ZZ plant – also known as zamioculcas zamiifolia – is an ideal office plant due to its low-maintenance nature.

This plant doesn’t need a great deal of water or sunlight to grow, meaning that they’re a good option for North-facing office spaces and cubicle layouts.

ZZ plants thrive best in environments with average indoor humidity, which is why they’re ideal for an office, where the humidity levels must be kept between 40% and 70%. While they can cope with drier environments, this is only for a short period of time.

Peace Lily

To add a more aesthetic feel to an office, peace lilies are a great choice. They are low-maintenance and adaptable, making them a good option for workplaces with less direct sunlight.

Also, peace lilies are known for their air purifying abilities. They are able to filter and remove toxins and chemicals from the air.

This makes them ideal for companies looking to improve air quality in their offices, as well as adding a calming, aesthetically-pleasing piece of nature into the space to complement the office decor and help boost the mood and productivity of employees.

Chrysanthemums

Another flower which would be able to thrive in an office environment is chrysanthemums. These beautiful plants tend to prefer slightly cooler areas, but can generally cope in average indoor temperatures.

In addition, chrysanthemums enjoy an average level of humidity – which is ideal for an office, especially as humidity should always be monitored to ensure it doesn’t fall below or rise above the range of 40% to 70%.

Chrysanthemums don’t tend to thrive in direct sunlight. Just like many of the other plants and flowers on this list, this makes them ideal for cubicle offices, or offices where there is less direct sunlight overall.

The Best Office Plants

Overall, to answer the question of “what are the best office plants”, the best indoor office plant for you depends on your requirements, as well as the conditions in your office.

For example, if your office is a busier environment, office plants may get watered less often. In this situation, a low-maintenance plant may be more ideal.

In addition, there are some indoor office plants which prefer less direct sunlight, which is ideal for North-facing offices, or areas that get less light.

1 – Cacti

Perhaps one of the go-to plants for both the home and the office: the cactus. It’s an iconic house and office plant, and can even flower if cared for properly, adding to its aesthetic appeal.

This plant is well-known for being extremely low-maintenance. In fact, it really doesn’t enjoy being overwatered, making it ideal for a busier office environment where people may forget to water it.

While cacti don’t purify the air by removing toxins, they do release oxygen during the day and absorb carbon dioxide at night, which can help improve the air quality in your office.

2 – Succulents

Another great plant for reception areas is a succulent.

In fact, this is more of a plant group, but overall, succulents are extremely easy to look after, which is why they’re another popular house and office plant, as well as cacti.

Just like cacti, succulents are also very visually appealing, and can blend in with a wide range of decors, depending on your current designs and colour scheme. They can also flower, if maintained well and kept in the right conditions.

Some types of succulents are ideal for cleaning and purifying the air in your office, such as snake plants and Dracaena.

3 – Monstera

If you’re looking to truly bring the outside in with a larger plant, having a monstera in your office area might be the way to go.

These plants are vibrant and have fun and interesting shapes, making them a great eye-catching piece to add to the interior design of your reception area.

In addition, they’re really easy to look after, and are able to thrive as long as they are regularly watered and have access to indirect light.

While they may require more watering and care than cacti and succulents, they can grow to a massive 15 feet indoors, so they’ll give back the effort you put in.

Finally, according to NASA studies, the Monstera is one of the best plants to get when it comes to removing toxins from the air.

4 – Bamboo

Depending on how you’ve designed your reception area, you might be looking for a more dramatic, vibrant plant to add an edge to your decor.

If this is the case, a bamboo plant might be a good choice. It’s bright and bold, ideal for making a statement when clients and employees enter your reception space.

In addition to the aesthetic benefits of bamboo, it’s also great if you’re looking to purify your air. Bamboo can actually help remove toxins like formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene from the air in your office reception area.

Apart from having to prune when the canes get older, bamboo is easy to care for, and doesn’t need constant watering to thrive.

5 – Fern

Many people are used to seeing fern outside, but they’re also a surprisingly good indoor plant, which add a natural feel to any reception area.

In terms of maintenance, fern requires high levels of humidity to thrive indoors, and they can be grown in terrariums if this is something you’re considering. They also need indirect light to be able to thrive.

Whilst the maintenance side of having a fern may be a little more complicated than the other plants on this list, they are good at removing pollutants from the air.

So, if you’re looking for a softer, more natural feel in your reception area, ferns are a great option.

6 – Bonsai Trees

One of the first things people think about when it comes to office and desktop plants is the bonsai tree.

It’s well-known that bonsai trees can be tricky to maintain and look after, but they can help your reception area feel calm and relaxed, adding a touch of nature.

For green-fingered colleagues, a bonsai tree is a great option, because it requires a good amount of pruning and maintenance, but it’s easy to reap the rewards once the work has been put in.

In addition, they’re excellent at removing pollutants like formaldehyde, so as well as looking good, they can help improve the quality of the air in your office, too.

7 – Spider Plants

Most well-known when it comes to purifying the air, spider plants are another great option for your reception area.

According to a NASA study, they’re able to remove up to 95% of toxic substances in the air, making them a great choice if you’re looking for a plant to help purify the air in your office.

The spider plant adds a vibrant touch to any reception area, and can fit in with most decors and colour schemes.

In terms of maintenance, spider plants prefer bright but indirect sunlight, and should be watered around once per week, making them relatively low-maintenance as long as your reception area has some sunlight.

8 – African Violets

If you’re looking to add a pop of colour to your reception area, African violets are a great option.

These plants are able to keep flowering throughout the year if looked after and maintained properly.

Generally, they tend to do well in bright, warm and humid areas, but they don’t have to be constantly watered, making them a medium-maintenance indoor plant.

In terms of air purifying qualities, African violets are known to remove harmful toxins and pollutants from the air, like benzene and formaldehyde.

This makes them the ideal choice if you’re looking for a plant in your reception area that’s vibrant and can help purify your air, as long as it gets the care and environment it needs to thrive.

9 – String of Pearls

Another option if you’re looking to add a dramatic flair to your office reception area is a string of pearls plant.

As well as the aesthetic allure, string of pearls plants is known for being an efficient air purifier, ideal if you’re looking to improve your office’s air quality.

While string of pearls plants require a high level of bright, indirect sunlight and often daily watering depending on the season, they pay back the effort put into them, in dividends.

So, if you’re looking to improve your air quality and add a dramatic plant to your reception area, a string of pearls plant might be the way to go.

The Best Office Plants for Reception Areas

As you’d imagine, the best plant for your office reception area really comes down to what you’re looking for.

While some people may just want a plant that looks good and fits in with the decor and aesthetic their reception area already has, others may be searching for the right plant to help purify the air in their reception area.

Whichever route you’re going down, it’s important to keep in mind how much care, maintenance, sunlight and water the plant will need, among other factors, and how it’ll be able to thrive in your environment, before you decide on the right plant for your space.

Create a Lasting First Impression with a Clean Reception Area