7Plants for the Office
6-minute read
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Being able to work from home for almost 4 years gave me the chance to set up my home office and make room for the plants I enjoy while I work. Now I am back in the office and have chosen 7 low-light plants for the office.
Not only do plants give an appealing look, but plants have been proven to clean and filter our air, create a more serene atmosphere, and relieve stress and anxiety.
Twenty-twenty was a year we were all cooped up working from home and adding plants to our home offices was great. Many of us are back in the office now, but why not take your plants to the office for the best possible atmosphere?
You might think the office does not provide enough sunlight. This is ok, I am working in an office without a window. I am going to share with you plants that are known for surviving and thriving in low-light settings.
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Here are 7 Low-Light Plants for the Office:
Pothos aka Devil’s Ivy
Dracaena aka Corn Plants
Chlorophytum comosum aka Spider Plants
Spathiphyllum aka Peace Lilies
Adiantum aka Maidenhair Fern
Philodendrons aka Heartleaf Plants
Zamioculcas zamiifolia aka ZZ Plants
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Thanks to twenty-twenty, and all the working from home, these plants have become popular and can be found in your local nursery, big box stores, and a variety of online stores.
I have become a plant propagator and have many of these available here on my website. I buy online plants, as well, from Amazon and Etsy. So, you can conveniently shop for your favorite low-light plants.
Not sure which ones you love yet? Read on to find out more about low-light plants perfect for the office.
Pothos aka Devil's Ivy
First up, my favorite low-light plant and my first plant, Pothos . There are many varieties of Pothos. I have several varieties and love how you can display them in diverse ways.
Pothos make great hanging plants. You can place them in a macrame plant hanger (like shown above) or simply let them trail down from a planter on your desk or office shelf.
Limited on space? No problem, Pothos loves to climb. Place a moss pole in their pot and attach them to train them to grow vertically. Growing your Pothos vertical can be a space saver.
Pothos are happy with a variety of light settings. They will survive fine in low light settings. Their preference is bright, indirect light. They do not tolerate direct sunlight, making them perfect for the office.
Pothos like high humidity levels and moist soil, but not soggy. Having a self-watering pot is ideal and will help extend the time between waterings so you won’t have to worry about your plants while out of the office.
Dracaena aka Corn Plants
Dracaena plants come in a large variety of plants from the Lucky bamboo plant to the Snake Plant. I love all! My snake plant is named Slim Shady and is a Laurentii.
Snake plants are self-propagating meaning they will naturally push off baby plants, called “pups” you can transplant into pots of their own.
Lucky bamboo plants are a lot of fun and extremely resilient. You can grow them in water or soil.
I left my Lucky bamboo, “Lucky,” in a cardboard box in the garage with no water or light over winter one year. (In my defense, I thought he had died).
In the spring I cleaned out the box and noticed my Lucky bamboo still had green areas. I cut the green areas and placed them in water. Walla! Lucky is fine. He grew new roots and is now thriving as always!
Whether you are growing in water or soil this plant is determined to thrive for you!
Dracaena plants require watering less often because they store water in their foliage. I water mine about once a month in the winter and about 2-3 times a month during the growing season.
Chlorophytum comosum aka Spider Plants
Spider plants love filtered light. If you do have a window in your office, place Spider plants so that they receive sunlight through the blinds if possible. However, they will do fine without filtered light as well. You can always add a small grow light to your office if there is no window.
Spiders do not like direct sunlight. Do not place them directly in the sunlight like the window seal. They need water about once every 7-10 days. Let the top 2 inches dry out between watering.
Spider plants are also self-propagating, like Snake plants. They will push off their pups like this. (see photo below). You can cut the pups off and root in water for new plants.
Spathiphyllum aka Peace Lilies
Just as the name suggests, this plant will create a more serene atmosphere. Peace lilies are exactly that. I am at peace looking at their beautiful blooms.
While they evoke peace, they also tend to be a bit of a drama queen. Lilliana is my peace lily and while I love her very much, especially since she was a Mother’s Day gift from my son, she is a bit of drama.
To keep your Peace lily happy, place her out of the sunlight and water a bit more often than the others. Peace lilies will let you know when they need watered, they droop their leaves.
This plant is a bit more challenging, but also more rewarding. If you can get her water schedule down and provide a bit more humidity to the air, she will reward you with blooms year-round.
Adiantum aka Maidenhair Fern
The Maidenhair fern is also one I consider to be a bit more challenging. I struggle with this one. I have not found the perfect watering regimen for the Maidenhair fern, but they are beautiful!
Maidenhair ferns enjoy lower light settings and moist, but well-draining soil. This is the challenge I face with this fern. She wants to be wet but does not want to be wet.
The best way to accomplish an environment your Maidenhair can thrive in is to not over water, but do not let her dry completely out either. Providing a humidifier or a tray of pebbles for her to sit on is ideal. You may also spritz with a spray bottle a couple times a week to help increase the humidity.
Her beauty outweighs the more challenging water routine. Don’t let this stop you from enjoying all this fern’s glory!
Philodendrons aka Heartleaf Plants
Another favorite of mine. Philodendrons come in one of the largest varieties of common house plants. I genuinely want them all!
The heartleaf plant is the most common and is a trailing plant. Like Pothos, you can also train this one to climb a moss pole, but I absolutely love the trailing hearts look.
With her showy, heart-shaped leaves and minimal maintenance the Philodendron is sure to be your best friend in the office.
Place your philodendron away from direct sunlight and let her soil dry mostly out between waterings and she will be happy.
Zamioculcas zamiifolia aka ZZ Plants
ZZ plants, hands down, are one of the easiest plants to care for. They do not need much light. They do not need much watering either.
I honestly only water my ZZ plants about 2 times a month. In wintertime once a month.
Keep your ZZ plants’ leaves clean and watch them thrive.
Some other good plant options for your low-light office are Bromeliads and Orchids.
Hope you learned more about low-light plants and can add these beauties to your collection.
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