Searching for the best plants for home offices? We’ve got you sorted with this in-depth guide to the top 10 plants that are so low maintenance, they require virtually no care at all while still looking great on top of your Slouch height adjustable desk.
Let’s get into the guide, so you can find a great plant for your home office!
Why add plants to your office?
Studies prove what humans instinctively know. That greenery and a connection to the outdoors are somehow nourishing for people. So much so that a study by the University of Exeter demonstrated that having plants in the office can help improve productivity by up to 15%. This is a remarkable feat for such a seemingly small change.
Plants also act as natural air purifiers. They convert CO2 (which we breathe out) into oxygen, which can be helpful in offices where CO2 is being expelled by people all day long. Plus, they can filter out common pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene, which is useful if you’re surrounded by common sources of these molecules, like synthetic furniture and electronics. That’s why they make the perfect piece of desk decor
All this might be enough to convince you to add some enriching plants to your own office! If so, keep reading to check out our top picks of the best plants for a home office.
Slouch’s picks: the best plants for your home office
1. Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
What makes it perfect for home offices: If you tend to kill your office plants, the Snake Plant is the ultimate indestructible choice. So if you’re a hybrid worker, for instance, it won’t need constant attention in order to stay alive.
Plus, it looks fantastic with striking multi-tonal leaves that grow straight up, adding some excellent decoration for your desktop.
Light requirements: Snake plants are happy-go-lucky and will thrive pretty much anywhere you put them, from shady corners to bright indirect sunlight. They might even survive in an office without windows during the week if you bring it up to a light source at weekends.
Watering: Water every 2-4 weeks.
Special benefits: Unlike most plants, snake plants actually release oxygen at night rather than during the day. This is a nice bonus if you work later hours. Plus, they’re so tolerant of neglect that they’ll forgive you for forgetting to water them for weeks.
They’re a low-maintenance hero if you want the benefits of an office plant but don’t want to have the burden of loads of care or special requirements.
2. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
What makes it perfect for home offices: ZZ plants have lovely, dark, glossy leaves, which are soothing to look at and reflect light, creating a lovely sheen.
Light requirements: These plants are another brilliant choice for darker offices as they can handle low light well. However, they’ll grow faster in bright, indirect light from a nearby window.
Watering: Water every 2-3 weeks.
Special benefits: ZZ plants have clever rhizomes that help them store water underground. This makes them extremely drought-tolerant – perfect if you’re not great at remembering to water your plants.
Plus, they’re slow growers, so you won’t need to worry about them outgrowing their pot for a good long while.
3. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
What makes it perfect for home offices: Here’s a pretty climber that would look charming hanging from a shelf in your office. Pothos, or Devil’s Ivy, as it’s sometimes called, is a brilliant introductory climbing plant that can hang down or be trained to climb up supports.
Light requirements: Pothos prefer bright, indirect light in order to produce their best leaf variegation. This is where, instead of just being one solid colour, the leaf contains different colours, usually in pretty marbled patches and patterns.
If you want to see this lovely effect for yourself, situate your Pothos in bright, indirect light. However, it can still survive in more dimly lit conditions.
Watering: Weekly when the soil starts to feel dry.
Special benefits: Pothos grow incredibly quickly, meaning that you can start with a cheaper and smaller plant and have something very impressive looking in a short time.
They’re also remarkably easy to propagate. This is where you cut a stem off and leave it in water for a few weeks. During this time, it will grow roots and can then be planted in soil, creating a whole new plant for free! You could even gift one to a friend or colleague.
4. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
What makes it perfect for home offices: Spider Plants look quite similar to Snake Plants because they both produce long, straight leaves. The difference is that where Snake Plant’s leaves stick up stiffly, Spider Plant’s leaves don’t. Their leaves bend over, creating a more relaxed, cascading look.
Light requirements: You’ll need bright, indirect light to keep Spider Plants at their happiest. You’ll know if it’s thriving because it will produce new ‘plantlets’, the little baby versions of the plant that you can repot for a new, free plant.
Watering: Water weekly, allowing the soil to fully dry in between.
Special benefits: Spider Plants are brilliant at keeping air purified throughout the day, meaning cleaner air for you. Plus, the little plantlets make adorable gifts – or simply an easy way to create more plants for the rest of your home!
5. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
What makes it perfect for home offices: Peace Lilies are well known for adding an elegant and tranquil touch to homes, so why not get one for the office? Their glossy green leaves are lovely on their own, but you might also be treated to some beautiful white blooms if you’re lucky.
Light requirements: Peace Lilies don’t like direct sunlight and can actually wilt and suffer leaf damage from too much exposure. Low to medium light will suit them well, so feel free to park this office plant in a shady desk corner.
Watering: Water weekly, or when leaves start to droop.
Special benefits: Did you know that Peace Lilies are so good at removing VOCs from the air and converting carbon dioxide to oxygen that they were one of the top-performing plants studied by NASA? The idea of the study was to see which plants performed best in enclosed spaces, like space shuttles or offices.
Plus, they’ll let you know when it’s time to water them if you ever forget, as their leaves will droop. A useful feature.
6. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)
What makes it perfect for home offices: If you want an office plant with a dash of colour, Chinese Evergreen is a lovely choice. You’ll find varieties with pink, red or even silver markings.
Light requirements: Chinese Evergreens also prefer low to medium light so work well in office environments where a windowside desk isn’t always guaranteed.
Watering: Water when you notice that the top inch of soil is dry.
Special benefits: You’ll find that this plant is virtually unkillable and doesn’t show signs of stress even under fluorescent lighting or heating and cooling systems.
Also, the little pop of colour it adds to your day is definitely a pick-me-up that some days call for. It could be the thing that keeps your work motivation going on a tiring afternoon.
7. Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)
What makes it perfect for home offices:The clue really is in the name with this one. The Cast Iron Plant can handle almost anything including almost total darkness. The dark green foliage is also a lovely addition to any desk.
Light requirements: This is the big selling point of the Cast Iron Plants. They can cope with low light conditions where others would struggle to survive. While they can’t live in total darkness, they can do extremely low lighting conditions.
Watering: Water every 2-3 weeks.
Special benefits: If you’re convinced that you kill houseplants, this one is the one for you. It can handle poor air quality, neglect, occasional overwatering and temperature fluctuations like a champ. Seriously – it’s a great starter plant that gives a lot for very little nurture.
8. Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
What makes it perfect for home offices: Now for something with a little more flair! Rubber Plants have large, gorgeously shiny, round leaves that look quite striking. Some even find some varieties with interesting variegation. However, they’re still fairly low maintenance, offering a lovely looking plant for your office for not much effort.
Light requirements: They tend to like medium or bright light from a nearby window, however, avoid the temptation to pop them in direct sunlight as it can fade their gloriously glossy leaves.
Watering: Just water as and when the top inch of soil is dry.
Special benefits: This is a plant that grows with you. They’ll keep growing until they reach up to 6 or even 8 feet tall! This could be a stunning feature in your home office, and one you grew yourself!
9. Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Why it’s perfect for home offices: The sweeping fringe-like look of the leaves gives an elegant, tropical look to your home office. They also naturally humidify the air, which can be great for your lungs.
Light requirements: In their natural habitat, Parlour Palms would grow under the shade of the forest canopy. So they’re perfectly fine with medium to low indirect sunlight.
Watering: Simply water when the top inch of soil looks dry.
Special benefits: Do you have an adorable dog who accompanies you into your home office? And does that furry friend occasionally eat things they shouldn’t? In case you didn’t realise, a lot of desk plants are actually toxic for dogs! If this is a concern for you, a Parlour Palm is a good choice because it’s one of a limited number of non-toxic options.
They also release a small amount of moisture into the air because of their tropical origins. This can help combat dry or stale air created by heating systems.
10. Philodendron Heartleaf (Philodendron hederaceum)
Why it’s perfect for home offices: This has got to be one of the best-looking office plants that’s still easy to care for. The heart-shaped leaves that trail down in vines have a romantic touch to them. A perfect addition if you want to add some whimsy to your desk.
Light requirements: Heartleaf Philodendrons aren’t fussy about light and can cope with anything from dim light to bright but indirect light. The amount of light they’re exposed to will decide how quickly it grows.
Watering: Water weekly when the soil on the surface is dry.
Special benefits: Philodendron Heartleaf is a really show-stopping option for people who want a pretty vine growing in their office but very little care and work. They’re hugely forgiving, so you’re likely to enjoy them
Spruce up your office with Slouch
While you’re busy stocking up on new home office plants, why not keep the office makeover going? Add in a purchase you won’t regret – a perfectly matched ergonomic office chair and desk combination. It’s the best thing you can add to your home office for your work day productivity.
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