“Plants give us oxygen for the lungs and the soul.” — Terri Guillemets.
People tend to have a bittersweet relationship with their office spaces: it’s where they make a living, but the place can get a tad bit monotonous after a while.
The perfect way to freshen up the place would be to include a small potted plant on your desk or a larger one in the corner.
By the way, small office plants don’t just freshen up the office aesthetically — they also do it in a much more literal sense of the word.
Through an extensive study, NASA found out that indoor plants contribute quite a bit to phytoremediation, which is just a fancy word for air purification).
They found that having photosynthetic office trees and plants indoors can purify the air of even heavy pollutants, such as cigarette smoke, organic solvents, and even radon gas.
Furthermore, an exhaustive study conducted by the American Psychological Association found that workers with plants in their offices were more productive across their three testing phases than those without any interior plant landscaping.
Plants To Brighten Up Your Office in 2022
These are some of the more popular pickings when it comes to landscaping your office space, ordered in a listicle for handy reference.
Alii Standard Ficus
Also known as: The Banana Leaf Fig
Good for: Reception areas, office lobbies, other common areas
Native to: Malaysia, India
Description: The word “Alii” means “nobility” in Hawaiian —because Hawaii was where the Alii Ficus was first cultivated commercially.
That said, the plant is reasonably statuesque and proportionately regal-looking.
It looks like a small tree, with its canopy extending from a single main trunk.
Plant Care Details:
| Sunlight Requirements | Moderate levels of bright, indirect sunlight |
| Soil PH Level | 6.0 - 6.5 |
| Temperature | Ideally above 70°F, never below 60°F |
| Fertilizer | Yes |
Neon Pothos Ivy
Also known as: The Devils Ivy, English Ivy
Good for: Semi-outdoor spaces, or just as a desk plant
Native to: The Solomon Islands
Description: This brightly-hued plant is guaranteed to breathe new life into your workspace, wherever you decide to put it.
Being native to the tropics, it tends to need a decent amount of sunlight so ensure that you’ll be able to provide enough light before getting them for your office.
It has pretty heart-shaped leaves and earned the nickname “Devils Ivy” because it is wonderfully hard to kill — perfect for the busy office worker.
Plant Care Details:
| Sunlight Requirements | Medium levels of direct sunlight |
| Soil PH Level | 6.1 - 6.5 |
| Temperature | 65°F - 85°F, never below 60°F |
| Fertilizer | Yes, 2-2-2-organic |
Birds Nest Fern
Also known as: Crow’s Nest Fern, Asplenium Nidus
Good for: Meeting rooms, as a desk plant
Native to: Southeast Asia, Australia,
Description: An epiphytic (grows on other things) plant, the bird’s nest fern gets its name from the fact that its center resembles a nest with eggs in it.
They are excellent phytoremediation agents and can grow without soil, being members of the Aspleniaceae family.
These ferns demand special attention when fertilizing (a monthly process) because over-fertilization can cause their fronds to yellow rapidly.
Plant Care Details:
| Sunlight Requirements | Medium levels of indirect sunlight |
| Soil PH Level | Acidic, 5.0 - 5.5 |
| Temperature | 55°F - 80°F, never below 50°F |
| Fertilizer | Yes, monthly |
Congo Rojo Philodendron
Also known as: Red Congo Philodendron
Good for: Corner spaces, waiting rooms
Native to: South America
Description: A rather interesting-looking office plant with flowers, the Rojo philodendron’s leaves usually range from dark red to coppery-brown.
It makes for quite a talking piece, with its rosette layout and tube-shaped flowers.
It is pretty easy to grow, delightfully hardy, and can live upwards of fifteen years, making it a perfect addition for interior landscaping.
Plant Care Details:
| Sunlight Requirements | Medium levels of partial indirect sunlight |
| Soil PH Level | Acidic, 5.0 - 6.0 |
| Temperature | 76°F - 86°F, try to avoid cold temperatures |
| Fertilizer | Yes, monthly, once every six weeks in winter |
Liriope Grass
Also known as: Lilyturf, Monkey Grass
Good for: Tight spots if potted, or recreational indoor gardens as turf
Native to: East Asia
Description: Don’t let the name fool you: lilyturf is not a proper grass, nor is it a true lily, even though its long purple flowers are beautiful to look at.
It is a perennial plant, and is actually of the asparagus family.
Liriope is one of the lusher varieties of grass, making it perfect for en masse planting as turf.
Plant Care Details:
| Sunlight Requirements | Direct sunlight, partial shade |
| Soil PH Level | Slightly acidic, 6.0 - 7.0 |
| Temperature | 68°F - 75°F, hates cold temperatures |
| Fertilizer | Yes, annual 10-10-10 (N-P-K) |
Dracaena Marginata Open Weave
Also known as: Dragon Tree Plant
Good for: Use anywhere as a conversation starter
Native to: Madagascar
Description: The dragon tree plant has one of the lowest maintenance profiles of any plant on this list and is a hot favorite among interior designers.
Its slender stems often interlace themselves together to create a stunning spiral plant guaranteed to draw second, third, and fourth looks from visitors.
It has narrow leaves that are silhouetted in red, making for a rather pleasing aesthetic, especially when paired with rooms painted in neutral shades.
Plant Care Details:
| Sunlight Requirements | Direct and bright sunlight, filtered |
| Soil PH Level | Slightly acidic, 6.0 - 6.5, loamy soil preferred |
| Temperature | 60°F - 75°F, hates cold temperatures |
| Fertilizer | Yes, monthly |
Bamboo Palm
Also known as: Golden Cane Palm
Good for: Entrances, near doors
Native to: Central and Southern America
Description: While it prefers the sun, the golden cane palm plant is one of the few bamboo palms that can survive in low-light conditions.
Adding these to your workspace instantly livens up the room, and the bamboo palm is known to be good at absorbing benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide from the air.
Couple that with its good looks, and you have the perfect plant for any office space.
It fits in plant pots with a surprisingly small footprint for its size.
Plant Care Details:
| Sunlight Requirements | Indirect sunlight with partial shade |
| Soil PH Level | Slightly acidic to neutral |
| Temperature | 60°F - 80°F, avoid cold temperatures |
| Fertilizer | Yes, biannual |
If you want to look for a place to buy any of the items on this list, and we don’t deliver to you, you could always try your luck with a simple google search for “office plant service near me” or “buy office plants [your city].”
Having a plant in the office can also provide a happy distraction from the mundane routine of office work, with the NCBI (The National Center For Biotechnology Information) stating that plants in the vicinity may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity.
Aside from livening up the place, office plants have been shown to have positive impacts on the mental health and productivity of the workers in the vicinity.
Add to that the health benefits of having plants around, and you get a win-win-win situation for everyone involved.
There really isn’t any reason to wait any longer — get in touch with us today to request a catalogue of our available plants.
