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Many of us spend a huge chunk of our lives at the office behind a desk getting stressed out with mountains of work, dealing with annoying co-workers and trying to finish on time. Well, how about this: studies show that the more plants we surround ourselves with, the less stressed we become! Isn’t that fantastic! Included in this article are some of the best office decor plants that won’t act like a diva if you leave them for a few days.
And if you’re one of the lucky ones who work from home with no one around to bother you, plants make a lovely silent friend and help to boost mood, great news for those of us who prefer the company of the green variety. Just pick any one of these for your plant office decor and you’ll be safe in knowing they’ll blossom happily sitting at your desk.
Caring for Plants at Work
Office spaces can be lacking in natural light so common sense would dictate that plants would not thrive as plant office decor. But that’s where you’d be wrong! There are tons of office decor plants that will tolerate low light levels as well as being very low maintenance regarding watering. You can even find out exactly how much light is in your space using an app on your phone.
Just don’t hang your office decor plants directly above your computer or it’ll end up in the splash zone - not conducive to a good, low-stress working environment!
1. ZZ Plant
Of all the office decor plants, the ZZ Plant is one of the most popular as it is so easy to care for and is believed to purify the air. The ZZ Plant has gorgeous glossy green leaves that can take chemical-carrying dust out of the atmosphere. Just wipe them clean with a damp cloth or rinse them in the sink every now and again and you’ll see how much it has pulled out of the air!
ZZ plants can grow quite tall, typically between 2 and 3 feet in a big enough pot, but you can keep it small enough for your plant office decor by purchasing one in our medium size. Any leaves you trim away can be propagated in water, too.
The ZZ Plant tolerates any light level except direct sunlight, where it can get burnt. Be careful not to overwater them as they do not need very much. Along with this, the less light it has, the less you need to water it and sometimes it won’t need any water over winter. A perfect office decor plant!
2. Snake Plant
This snake plant is a real show stopper! With its captivating tongue-like foliage, it is also known as Mother-In-Law’s Tongue which certainly gives us a giggle. The long leaves are eye-catching with dark green mottled bands and yellow edging. They undeniably match a modern aesthetic making it great plant office decor!
The snake plant is believed to absorb toxins from the air and that just might be true according to some studies. Just wipe the dust off of it now and again with a damp cloth to help it photosynthesise to its best capabilities.
It can tolerate low light pretty well but given a brighter environment, the snake plant will grow much faster. Make sure to keep it out of direct sunlight or it can cause the leaf colouration to fade. It will only need watering every couple of weeks but can go longer, making it a contender for number one in our office decor plants collection!
3. Spider Plant
The splendid curly spider plant is another great option for much-needed living plant office decor as it is super easy to care for. Water it well in a well-lit area away from direct sunlight and it could even reward you with pretty yellow flowers!
Along with its ease of care, the spider plant takes up little space sitting on a desk but looks extra fantastic hanging up in one of our Kokodamas, giving it a living-orb feel. It can really freshen up your workspace and has a lovely low-maintenance appeal. An office decor plant to break the ice or wow your coworkers!
Spider plants do not usually suffer any common problems but occasionally can get brown tips of their leaves. This is usually due to fluoride in tap water so if this bothers you (it doesn’t harm the plant!) then you can use distilled water to keep it in tip-top condition.
4. Lucky Bamboo
Try plants that “ward off evil spirits” (co-workers with bad juju) like this lucky bamboo for an extra boost to self-esteem.
This plant is another front-runner for the best plant for air purity and is super easy to care for as an office decor plant. It likes bright indirect light as direct sunlight can burn the foliage and also likes its soil to be watered once the top couple of inches has dried out. Some occasional misting up to twice a week is also encouraged to create a bit of humidity for this exotic chap to make perfect plant office decor.
One thing to bear in mind is that the lucky bamboo and its relatives are quite sensitive to the chemicals in tap water but luckily, leaving tap water to sit for 24 hours allows these to evaporate and will then be tolerated well. Easy for the office, just leave a watering can of water under your desk (out of kicking distance!) the day before you need to use it.
5. Rubber Plant
These gorgeous rubber plants have been gaining lots of popularity lately and we can see why! A very comely gentleman of a plant and makes delightful office decor plants. It boasts impressive large and deep-coloured foliage with a splash of red along the underside of the leaf along the midrib.
They can grow very large in their natural habitat but you can keep them at an acceptable plant office decor size by pruning the top whenever it starts getting a bit too big. Make sure to rotate it frequently to ensure it keeps its aestheticism as it likes to point and grow towards the light source.
The rubber plant absolutely hates to be over-watered which is good news for its spot in your office decor plants. Just make sure you keep it out of direct sunlight and it’ll tolerate all other light conditions.
6. Watermelon Peperomia
For very small spaces the watermelon peperomia is a stunning choice for your office desk decor with its melon-esque leaves and only growing to 15-20cm. Its striking foliage makes for a great piece for your desk and as with all other office decor plants listed here, is very low maintenance, so you won’t have to worry about it dying off over the weekend.
A real treat for the eyes, the watermelon peperomia is just one type of many peperomia that would work perfectly for your plant office decor. Typically, they tend to be able to tolerate any conditions as long as you don’t forget to water them too many times in a row!
And that's a wrap!
Of course, this is by no means an exhaustive list of what sort of plants would flourish as your plant office decor companions. But we hope this gives you some insight into how many different types there are that are low-maintenance and survive office environments as your office decor plants! Plants that meet the specific conditions of office life are plentiful and there are some seriously amazing-looking ones to choose from that would love to bloom alongside you.
Let’s Clear The Air…
Not only are plants known to improve mood, but they also improve the air quality- a great bonus for those of us that work in big city offices! We think this is pretty amazing and NASA did a study to see if plants could work as air purifiers and found that they do indeed remove certain toxins from the atmosphere. Want to learn more about the benefits of office plants? Read our blog here!
Don’t Forget!
Before choosing your office decor plants it is best practice to first consider your light conditions and room temperature, and then think about the natural humidity level of your workspace. Of course, you don’t spend your entire life in the office so these sort of low-maintenance plants listed here are a must when it comes to office decor plants!
