Introduction
Many of us have shifted to remote working, requiring us to adapt and adjust to the home office setup. Making sure you have the right environment is key to remaining productive and motivated while working remotely. One great way to do this is by adding plants to your workspace, and there are plenty of options out there to choose from! Here, we will discuss some of the best plants for a productive home office that can help make remote work easier.
Positive aspects of having plants in your home office
Air Purification and Cleanliness
One of the main benefits of having plants in your workspace is that they act as natural air purifiers. Plants filter out toxins such as carbon dioxide, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene, leaving you with cleaner air to breathe. This can help reduce symptoms of allergies and asthma, as well as provide a pleasant scent in the room.
In addition to purifying the air, certain plants can also act as natural cleaners by absorbing dirt, dust particles, and other pollutants from the air. Spider plants are particularly good at this due to their huge surface area of tiny leaves.
Improved Mood and Reduced Stress
Having plants around in your workspace is not only beneficial for physical health but mental health too! Studies have shown that having live greenery around makes people feel happier and more relaxed—a much-needed respite when working long hours at home! Plants also provide a bit of a distraction when the task at hand starts to seem tedious, and they can even provide a sense of purpose as you take care of them.
Increased Productivity
Having plants in your workspace can also improve productivity, both directly and indirectly. The cleaner air that plants provide helps to keep you alert and focused, while their calming presence helps reduce stress levels—which in turn reduces burnout and fatigue. Plants also act as visual cues for breaks, letting you know when it’s time to take a break from the computer screen and get some fresh air outside or stretch your legs.
The best plants for home office
Snake Plant
A great option for anyone who doesn’t want to worry too much about taking care of their plants, the snake plant is easy to maintain and can grow in any type of environment.
- Ease of care: easy
- Light: shade to partial shade
- Watering: low water requirements, allow soil to dry out between waterings
Aloe Vera
An excellent choice for purifying air and adding a bit of humidity to your workspace, aloe vera thrives when it gets lots of sunlight.
- Ease of care: easy
- Light: bright, indirect light
- Watering: allow soil to dry out between waterings.
Spider Plant
One of the easiest plants to take care of, spider plants are very tolerant and can adapt even in low light environments.
- Ease of care: easy
- Light: bright, indirect light
- Watering: keep soil evenly moist.
English Ivy
Great for reducing toxins from the air, English ivy is a great addition to any desk or countertop area in your home office space.
- Ease of care: easy to medium
- Light: shade to partial shade
- Watering: keep soil evenly moist
Peace Lily
A beautiful flowering plant that not only looks good but also helps reduce toxins from the air in your home office space, peace lilies need some indirect sunlight to thrive.
- Ease of care: easy
- Light: low to medium light
- Watering: keep soil evenly moist
Philodendron
These classic houseplants need some direct sunlight but tolerate lower light levels as well, making them ideal for offices with little access to sunshine.
- Ease of care: easy
- Light: low to medium light
- Watering: keep soil evenly moist
Pothos
Also known as devil's ivy, pothos are great climbers that look beautiful draped over shelves or hanging containers inside your office space while they filter out airborne toxins with ease.
- Ease of care: easy
- Light: low to medium light
- Watering: keep soil evenly moist
Aeriums/Terrariums
An elegant combination of both foliage and succulent plants combined into one terrarium—aeriums add a unique vibe to any room but don’t require much upkeep since all you need to do is water once or twice a week!
- Ease of care: varies by plant species, but generally easy to medium
- Light: varies by plant species, but some may require bright, indirect light while others can tolerate low light
- Watering: varies by plant species, but some may require frequent misting while others may not need much moisture at all
Bonsai Trees
Not only do these miniature trees create an interesting visual appeal in your office, they also promote relaxation and stress reduction due to the delicate nature of tending them daily (or weekly).
- Ease of care: varies by species, but can range from easy to hard;
- Light: varies by species, but some may require full sun while others may tolerate partial shade;
- Watering: varies by species, but some may require daily watering while others may only need to be watered once a week.
Rubber Tree Plants
Also an excellent choice for low light areas in your home office, rubber tree plants can provide clean air at a minimal level of maintenance (watering every two weeks is enough!).
- Ease of care: easy to medium
- Light: bright, indirect light
- Watering: Keep soil evenly moist.
Jade Plant
A popular pick among many who have access to sunny areas in their home offices, jade plants are able to survive without direct sunlight while still giving off a fresh vibe throughout its surroundings!
- Ease of care: easy to medium
- Light: bright, indirect light
- Watering: allow soil to dry out between waterings
Ficus Plant
For those looking for more dramatic greenery indoors this ficus could be just what you're looking for—providing levelheaded privacy while helping filter out any pollutants trapped indoors with its large leaves!
- Ease of care: easy to medium
- Light: bright, indirect light
- Watering: Keep soil evenly moist.
ZZ Plant & Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Sansevieria)
Both these low maintenance indoor beauties make perfect additions as they help absorb toxic gases like carbon monoxide.
- Ease of care: easy
- Light: low to bright, indirect light
- Watering: allow soil to dry out between waterings
Conclusion
As you can see, adding plants to your home office setup is a great way to make remote working easier. Not only do they provide air purification, improved mood, and reduced stress, but they can also help increase productivity too! So, if you’re looking to make your home office a bit more productive and conducive to remote work, then adding the right plants is a great place to start!
Thanks for reading! I hope this article has helped you find the best plants for an inviting home office. Now that you know what to look for, I wish you all the best in setting up your very own green oasis at home. Happy (remote) working!