Making your employees feel good at work shouldn’t be too hard if you are determined to do it.
As a matter of fact, there are so many ways in which you can improve workers well-being – and most of them don’t even include giving them additional money at all!
Plants are an often neglected way to improve the atmosphere in the office.
Apart from looking great, there are also a couple of other benefits that you can get when you decide to introduce some flora in the office.
For example, some plants are able to:
- Reduce work-related illnesses
- Reduce noise which means reduced distractions
- Improve the air quality inside the office
- Remove impurities
- Add a focal point to your work environment.
- Increase creativity
- Reduce work-related stress
- Enhance productivity by 15%
- Reduce absenteeism
- Lower O&M (Operations and Maintenance) costs
In this article, we will provide you with a list of some great plants you should consider introducing to your office:
1. 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.
2. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Now, if you’re interested in something a bit more tropical, then we suggest you get yourself a Peace Lily. Not only are they beautiful, but peace lilies are also easy to keep since they can grow in very low lighting conditions. This makes them ideal for workspaces and offices that are a bit short on windows (or hat have very small windows.
In fact, you should keep these away from direct sunlight. Keep them in low light places with lots of humidity.
3. Azalea
Azaleas are flowering shrubs that thrive in cold environments and can filter the air to combat formaldehyde.
4. Bromeliads
Now, if you prefer pretty and ornamental plants, then Bromeliads are the way to go. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and even in different colours. They have rigid and thick leaves that really help out with the atmosphere in the office.
5. Jade Plant
Next, the jade plant is a succulent that has very small flowers. Also, it really doesn’t need to be watered as often as other plants should. Also called money plant, the Crassula Ovata is fabled as to bringing financial success to its owner.
6. Walking Iris (Neomarica bicolor gracillis)
This plant has hardy leaves that look like they are swords. Also known as Apostle plants, the Walking Iris has an orchid-like flower that blooms at the upper end of its stem. These flowers last only for a day, but that day truly is special. Now, while very pretty, they need constant and regular watering.
7. Chinese Evergreen
Next, the Chinese Evergreen, also known as Aglaonema. These are great since they require very little maintenance, don’t need a lot of light, and they even remove and disperse toxins in the air.
8. Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Sansevieria)
These can reach almost seven feet in height. With upright leaves and a specific look, these gorgeous plants will really brighten up your office. They can last for years if you take care of them properly and can thrive almost anywhere.
9. English Ivy
The English Ivy is also known as Hedera helix. It’s a clinging vine that can reduce airborne fecal 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.
10. 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.)
11. Parlor Palm
If you want something really tropical, we suggest you get some Chamaedorea elegans – or, better known as a Parlor Palm. Called so because they, well, look like palm trees, these plants are a great fit for any office. Also, they don’t really need as much light as you would think they would.
12. 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.
13. Cacti
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. 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.
16. Weeping Fig
The weeping figs are large plants that can filter pollutants such as formaldehyde and benzene as well as other pollutants found in carpets and furniture.
17. 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.
18. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
23. Pothos
The Pothos or Epipremnum aureum is 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 long periods without needing much care.
24. Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)
Madagascar Dragon Trees have tall snake-like trunks and green and pink leaves. They can grow up to 3 meters high and they look best in a well-lit space to maximize leaf coloring.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. 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 oversized, inside-out look on the leaves of the Fittonia can serve as quite a focal point in your office space.
28. Mixed Garden
A mixed garden is always a great idea. If you can’t decide what to get, you get multi-grouped planting. These plants are intended for desktops or any other place in the office that has lots of light.
Your office will look so much better with those plants around, and they will make your employees feel a lot more motivated to work. These plants alleviate stress, and will even energize and motivate your employees.
Now, adding plants to your office really will spruce things up, but, you should also consider taking care of workplace hygiene. So, let the next step of going green be a focus on cleanliness.
Alsco offers high-quality solutions for your green workplace. From mats to odour control, from the washroom to hand hygiene, Alsco offers services that can be tailored to any particular needs your business may have.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash Images by Ellyot
