Good office plants are plants that can cope with changing light, dry air and a few days without water. That is why the ZZ plant, the snake plant, the kentia palm, the pachira and the dracaena do well in most offices. If there is a spot close to a large window, the fiddle leaf fig and the strelitzia also come into the picture.
If you are looking for plants for the office, look at the spot first and only then at the species. How much daylight comes in, how warm is it at the weekend and who does the watering? With those three answers you can choose a plant that will last for years. Our collection office plants for workspaces and meeting rooms contains species selected for those conditions.
Why have plants in the office
The main reason is simple: a workplace with plants is a nicer place to be. A bare room with desks, cabinets and screens can soon feel harsh. A few large plants make an office calmer to look at and give visitors an immediate impression that the place is well cared for.
Plants also have a few practical advantages. A lot of greenery together can slightly dampen the echo in a room, especially combined with large pots, curtains and soft flooring. The effect is limited, but in an open-plan office with hard walls you can sometimes notice the difference. You can also use large plants to divide a space without putting up fixed walls. More on that further down.
You regularly read that plants purify the air in the office or increase productivity. Those claims have deliberately been left out here. For fresh air in the office, good ventilation is far more important than a few pots. So choose plants because they make the workplace more pleasant, and that is reason enough.
Office conditions: what a plant has to deal with
For a plant, an office is a different environment from a living room. If you know this in advance, you will choose better and avoid the plant standing bare after a few months.
Light: daylight, fluorescent and LED
Many workstations are far from the window. The artificial light from fluorescent tubes or LED panels helps a little, but for most plants it is no replacement for daylight. On top of that, the lights go off in the evening and at the weekend. So put plants that need a lot of light within a few metres of a window. For the darker corners, low light office plants are the better choice, such as the ZZ plant and the snake plant. These also grow more slowly in low light, but they stay looking neat.
Air con and dry air
Air con and heating make the air dry. In palms and dracaenas you often see this in brown leaf tips. Never put a plant directly in the airflow of an air con unit or a heating fan. Cold or warm draughts blowing on the same leaves all the time cause leaf drop and dried-out edges. Moving the plant a metre to the side is often enough.
Weekends and holidays without water
On Friday afternoon the lights go off and they do not come back on until Monday. During the summer and Christmas holidays the office is sometimes empty for two weeks. Plants that store water in their leaves, stem or roots, such as the ZZ plant, the snake plant and the pachira, cope well with this. Species that like to stay evenly moist need someone to come by during a holiday.
Heating off at the weekend
Many offices turn the heating down or off completely at the weekend. Most tropical houseplants can handle a few cooler days, as long as it does not stay below around 12 to 15 °C indoors for long. Pay particular attention to plants close to large windows and outside doors. That is where it cools down fastest in winter, and a plant whose leaves touch cold glass can be damaged.
The best large office plants
Below are the species that combine best with little care in an office. For each plant you can read where it does well and what to look out for. You will find them all in our large office plants.
1. ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
The ZZ plant is the easiest office plant there is. It stores water in thick rhizomes under the soil and so only needs watering once every two to four weeks. It tolerates low light and can easily stand further from the window. The biggest risk is too much water. Let the soil dry out completely between waterings. A good starting point is the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) 70 cm tall, pot ø17 cm. The sap can irritate the skin and the plant is not suitable to eat, so do not put it where children or pets can get at it.
2. Sansevieria (snake plant)
The snake plant grows upright and so takes up little floor space. That makes it suitable for narrow spots next to a cabinet or by the entrance. It is a succulent and needs little water: in winter sometimes only once a month. It prefers a bright spot, but also copes in partial shade. Take a look, for example, at the Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii') 90 cm tall, pot ø21 cm.
3. Kentia palm
The kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) has long been a plant for hotels, lobbies and offices. It grows slowly, tolerates less light than most palms and keeps its shape for years. Keep the soil slightly moist and let the top few centimetres dry out before watering again. In dry air it sometimes gets brown tips, which you can trim off neatly. For a reception area or boardroom, the Kentia palm 220 cm tall, pot ø38 cm is a fitting size.
4. Pachira (money tree)
The pachira has a thick stem that holds water and a crown of hand-shaped leaves. It likes a bright spot, but without harsh midday sun. Water when the top layer of soil is dry and do not leave water standing in the decorative pot. A long weekend without water is no problem for it. The Pachira aquatica 170 cm tall, pot ø27 cm is large enough to stand on its own in a corner.
5. Ficus lyrata (fiddle leaf fig)
The fiddle leaf fig has large, sturdy leaves and fits well in a modern workspace. It is fussier than the species above, though. It wants a bright spot close to the window and does not like being moved or draughts. After a move it sometimes drops a few leaves, which usually recovers by itself once it has a fixed spot. Turn the pot a quarter turn now and then, so it does not grow crooked towards the light. A sturdy specimen is the Ficus lyrata (fiddle leaf fig) 180 cm tall, pot ø30 cm.
6. Dracaena
Dracaenas grow upright with one or more stems and come in many leaf shapes and colours. They tolerate partial shade well and need a moderate amount of water. Let the soil partly dry out between waterings. Brown leaf tips are usually caused by dry air or irregular watering. A good office size is the Dracaena Golden Coast 150 cm tall, pot ø24 cm.
7. Strelitzia by the window
The Strelitzia nicolai, also known as the giant white bird of paradise, has large leaves that look like those of a banana plant. It needs a lot of light and so belongs right by a large window. In a dark spot it stretches and becomes floppy. In the right spot it grows quickly and fills a tall space well. You do not need to worry about splits in the leaves: they are normal for this plant.
8. Polyscias
The polyscias, also known as aralia, has fine, curled leaves and looks a little lighter than the large foliage plants. It likes a bright spot without harsh sun and wants to stay evenly slightly moist. Like the ficus, it does not like draughts or being moved. That makes it more suitable for a fixed spot on a desk or sideboard than for a walkway.
Plants as room dividers
In an open-plan office you sometimes want to screen off a workspace without building a wall. A row of large plants in planters does that without closing off the space. For a room divider, choose species that grow upright and do not spread much, such as the snake plant, the dracaena and the kentia palm. Low planters with snake plants create a clear boundary between a walkway and a workspace. Taller palms or dracaenas behind a desk give more privacy. Make sure the plants in a divider all have roughly the same light needs, otherwise one will always do worse than the rest. You will find more tall species in the collection large plants.
Who looks after the plants
Most office plants do not die from too little light, but from unclear arrangements. Everyone gives a little water, or nobody does. So agree on who is responsible. That can be the office manager, a regular colleague or a rota.
- A fixed moment each week: choose a fixed day, for example Monday morning. Go round all the plants and feel with a finger whether the soil is dry.
- Plan the watering: not every plant needs water every week. Note roughly how often each plant gets water, for example weekly for the kentia and once every three weeks for the ZZ plant.
- Before the holidays: water just before a long closure and move plants a little away from cold windows.
- Dusting: wipe large leaves with a damp cloth now and then. In an office, dust soon builds up on the leaves.
If you are unsure about a plant that does not look well, you can turn to our Plant Doctor.
Decorative pots in the office
In an office you do not want water spilt on the floor or on a desk. So put the nursery pot in a decorative pot without a hole, or in a pot with a saucer. Check half an hour after watering whether there is water in the bottom of the decorative pot and pour it away. Roots standing in water are the most common cause of a sick office plant.
Choose a decorative pot slightly wider than the nursery pot, so you can easily lift the plant out. For large plants on a smooth floor, a pot on wheels or a plant caddy is handy when cleaning. You get a calm, consistent look by using the same pot colour everywhere, even if the plants differ.
Ordering office plants for a business
If you are ordering several plants at once, make a list of the spots beforehand: entrance, meeting room, workstations and kitchen area. Note for each spot how much daylight there is and how tall the plant can be. If you are not sure which species suits a spot, use the plant finder.
Our plants are delivered upright in their own plant box, so the stem and leaves arrive intact. Unpack the plants as soon as possible and give them a few weeks to get used to their new spot. Dropping some leaves during that first period is normal and no reason to move the plant.
Want to see straight away which species suit your workplace? Browse all office plants at XXLplant and choose by light needs and height.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best plants for the office?
The ZZ plant, the snake plant, the kentia palm, the pachira and the dracaena do well in most offices. They can cope with changing light, dry air and a weekend without water. If the plant stands by a large window, the fiddle leaf fig and the strelitzia are also suitable.
Which office plant needs the least care?
The ZZ plant and the snake plant need the least care. They store water and often only need watering once every two to four weeks. They also tolerate spots with little daylight.
Which houseplants can cope with low light in the office?
The ZZ plant, the snake plant and the kentia palm tolerate low light best. They do grow more slowly in a spot like that. Fluorescent or LED lighting helps a little, but is not a full replacement for daylight.
Can office plants go a weekend or a holiday without water?
A weekend is no problem for most office plants. Species that store water, such as the ZZ plant, the snake plant and the pachira, can also cope with a two-week holiday if you water them just before you leave. Species that like to stay evenly moist need someone to come by during a long holiday.
Can office plants cope with air con?
Yes, as long as they are not directly in the airflow. Cold air blowing on the same plant all the time causes leaf drop and dry edges. Move the plant a metre to the side of the air con unit.
How often should you water office plants?
That varies by species. A kentia palm or dracaena often needs water once a week or once every two weeks, a ZZ plant once every two to four weeks. Always feel whether the soil is dry first and agree on a fixed moment each week to check all the plants.
