Greenery in the office environment has a measurable impact on employee satisfaction, health, and office culture.
When plants are introduced into the office, expect to see decreased stress in employees and increased productivity, according to a study by Dr. Virginia Lohr of Washington State University. During the experiment, subjects showed significant recovery from stress within 5 minutes when exposed to plant life, and a 12% increase in productivity.
Don’t dismiss the anesthetics of indoor office plants either. Gallup polls indicate two-thirds of Americans enjoy gardening as a hobby.
When retaining top employees is important, studies by Dr. Ulrich of Oxford University show that plants for the office have a measurable positive effect on employee satisfaction and disposition.
When selecting indoor office plants, consider the care the plant requires.
The best office plants are attractive, low maintenance and take advantage of underutilized space.
Spider Plants
Spider plants are ubiquitous plants for the office for good reason. They’re attractive and fun with spiderettes that hang down from the mother plant. They can suffer the occasional neglect of a long weekend or forgotten watering and prefer cooler temperatures common in environmentally controlled offices making their care manageable for beginner indoor gardeners.
Peace Lily
Peace lily plants are one of the best office plants thanks to their tolerance for low light and their ease of care. They reduce air pollutants and are enthusiastic growers that are easy to repot so one plant can over time add additional indoor office plants, or given to employees to take home. Indoor office plants such as the peace lily can be used as natural decoration and when clumped together create a focal point in the office regardless of the availability of light.
English Ivy
In offices with limited space, a climbing plant for the office may be the right choice, such as English ivy. Employees can get creative guiding the ivy up structures or down from hanging plants. Because of its creeping nature, it can make an interior space feel like the outdoors. While ivy also prefers to be more dry than watered, it does require once a month fertilization and occasional dusting of its leaves.
Indoor office plant improve office environments, reduce stress with minimal exposure for both employees and clients, increase employee focus and productivity, as well as improving employee satisfaction and retention. The best office plants improve anesthetics and require minimal care.
