Does your office place feel stuffy or artificial?

Do you feel tired and low while working in the office ?

Well, updating your workplace with some fresh and green tinge of life can fix that ! Yes, plants are natural healers and mood enhancers. Just place a live plant on your office desk. It could reduce tiredness, stress and would help to boost productivity. Most of us generally spend more time in our working place than home. With the addition of living plants, your office would feel more like a home than a working space.

Paints, furnishings, electronic screens, furniture, cleaning products and ACs emit certain chemicals and radiations which adversely influence the indoor air quality. Poor quality of indoor air can lead to health issues like headache, stress, eye fatigue etc. Apart from enhancing the aesthetics, placing plants in the office premises have health benefits too. Office plants can increase the humidity around the desk, remove toxins from the air and add soothing aroma to your workspace. For example, Gerbera daisy and Snake plant are not only beautiful plants, but also effective in removing carcinogen benzene and formaldehyde from indoor air.

There are in fact hundreds of different plants that can fit nicely into any office space. They will certainly enhance your office aesthetics, whether it’s a reception, lobby, cubicle or a collaborative space.

Indoor plants are one of the best ways to increase the employee productivity. They are easy to grow and maintain. With little care, you can keep the plants around your desk or in other parts of the office for a very long time. Many small to medium sized plants would thrive in low-light conditions and require bare minimum maintenance. The key is to choose the right plant at right place.

To find the perfect plant for your space, check out the options which would be aesthetically pleasing, needs little watering and lighting, easy to maintain and best for improving air quality.

Here’s a list of 9 indoor plants to consider for energizing your office environment:

1. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon Balm is a beautiful plant which emanates a wonderful mild mint-lemon fragrance that will add value to almost any office space. They grow well in both direct sun and shaded areas. Lemon balm has mood-boosting abilities. A pleasing smell of lemon that this plant releases is enough to make you feel fresh throughout the day.

2. Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

Snake plant has shooting dark green leaves with bands of a bright yellow-green on the outside. This plant is one of the best plants for filtering out formaldehyde, which is commonly found in cleaning products, toilet paper and tissues. Snake plants require little attention and care. You may just pour your water bottle on it while leaving the office and enjoy this amazing slow growing desk plant. For better experience, choose a dwarf variety like ‘Futura Superba’ which is specially suited for indoor spaces.

3. Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)

If you love a flowering plant, a Gerbera daisy would be the fantastic addition to your office plant-scape. It’s a beautiful small plant that comes in a wide variety of colours. It can fit almost anywhere. It needs very little sunlight and can survive in shady areas. Gerbera daisy is popular for its air purifying properties as it helps to filter the toxins like carcinogen benzene out of the air.

4. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)

Peace lily has dark lush green leaves and pretty white flowers which would add some tropical flair to your office space. It’s a typical indoor plant that would enhance beauty of any workspace. It’s petals and gorgeous lengthy stems would certainly upgrade the splendor of a reception, foyer or a lobby area. It can grow even in low office lighting. Peace lily has cleansing and healing properties. It acts as a natural air purifier. It can eliminate benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene, and ammonia from the air that you breathe.

5. Philodendron (Philodendron sp.)

It is popularly known as a sweetheart plant because of its heart shaped leaves. This is one of the best durable plants which could thrive in the office environment. There are lot of philodendron species with different colours and leaf sizes available in market. Philodendrons needs very little attention and are easy to care. In addition, it acts as an air purifier. It helps in absorbing xylene (a toxin present in glues) from air.

6. Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sp.)

Surprisingly it’s not bamboo! Lucky bamboo is a member of the lily family. Admired as a symbol of good luck, lucky bamboo is a stunning plant that is very easy to cultivate. You will not even need potting soil, they are happy to grow in just water (Hydroponics/Aquaponics). You can also cultivate this plant just by adding pebbles or glass chips in the vase. This plant is available in all kinds of patterns and wild forms. If you are working in a windowless office, this plant is a must try. It grows in both natural and artificial light.

7. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Spider plant is one of the trouble-free plants to grow indoors. It needs low maintenance and can thrive in little sunlight or in a shade. You can create some visually interesting look in the office by displaying spider plants in the hanging baskets. It’s a pollution killer plant. Spider plant removes Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants from indoor air. It is ideal choice for your cubicle or windowless office.

8. Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)

Now a day, Weeping Fig is becoming popular choice for indoor landscape. They are available in a stylish form with thick, glossy dark leaves. These are generally easy to grow if enough light and proper care is taken. This charming plant is good for your health. Placing a weeping fig into your office could help in improving air quality. It can filter pollutants such as formaldehyde and benzene which are emitted from carpets and furniture.

9. Aloe plants (Aloe barbadensis)

Aloe plants are very famous and commonly used indoor medicinal plant. They are small enough to easily fit on most desks or in any office corner. They need very less watering and maintenance. They too have air-filtering qualities. Aloe can remove toxins such as formaldehyde and benzene from the air.

Colourful flowers, lush green foliage, soothing fragrance, variety of texture and shape of leaves certainly add interesting drama to the surroundings. You can easily transform your mundane and dull office space by just placing some healthy and fresh indoor plants without spending a lot of money. There are many office plants which would help in sharpening your focus, refreshing your mood and act as an air purifier. Your workspace would become more welcoming, interesting and attractive with the addition of indoor plants. What are you waiting for ? Start thinking about transforming your office environment today !