The Best Houseplants for your Home Office

Last Updated: December 31, 2021

Houseplants are great for the home office

There’s been a lot of research which shows that houseplants are great at boosting productivity, making them perfect for your desk at work or home office. It brings a little bit of life and greenery to help you focus, relax and get the most out of the day. So aside from adding some style to your desk, there are actually great benefits for your work too!

We have selected some of the best air purifying and plants known to help relax you so that your workspace works for you too.

 

1

ZZ Plant

Zamioculcas zamiifolia

Also known as the Zanzibar Gem, the ZZ Plant is a great low-maintenance minimalist houseplant. Loved for their dark green glossy oval leaves, we recommend this one for those without a fantastic track record of keeping plants alive, but also for anyone looking for something smart and stylish to spruce up their home. They are very adaptable and will deal well with some bright but indirect light, as well as shady dark corners of your home.

The ZZ Plant is quite slow-growing so you won’t see new stems popping out all of the time. It’s important to note that they grow bulb-like roots called rhizomes so will need quite a large pot to really thrive and grow. This also means they are drought tolerant as they store water in their rhizomes.

Find out more in our ZZ Plant care guide.

2

Calathea Dottie

Calathea Roseopicta Dottie

With large glossy dark green (almost black) leaves, the Calathea Dottie is a plant for those who want to make a statement. Each leaf has a bright pink outline which you won’t see on any other plant! Native to South America, it’s important that Calathea Dottie plants are placed somewhere warm with a good level of humidity and bright but not direct sunlight. Without this environment, your plant will really struggle.

If you aren’t already sold on this plant just by looking at the incredible leaves, then we have a couple more reasons. Firstly, they purify the air in the room which is great for productivity. They are also non-toxic so we don’t need to worry about putting them out of reach of pets or children which is great!

Calathea Dottie plants aren’t as common globally so you might need to take a look in more specialised plant shops and nurseries to find them.

Find out more in our Calathea Dottie care guide.

3

Parlour Palm

Chamaedorea elegans

If you want to grow a palm tree indoors then the Parlour Palm is the one you need! They are easy to care for and adapt well to lower light conditions. When kept indoors the Parlour Palm will stay quite small growing to a maximum of around 8 feet, this makes them manageable and easy to place anywhere in the home.

Provided with good light and some additional humidity in the dryer months your Parlour Palm will be perfectly happy – don’t be discouraged by slow growth as they can take several years to grow an extra 2 feet in height.

Find out more in our Parlour Palm care guide.

4

Yucca

Yucca elephantipes

A staple of many homes, the Yucca is one of the most popular houseplants and you’ll often see them around offices, shops and restaurants too! They’re super easy to care for so are perfect for all plant parents. They were very popular in the ’70s so are a great way to get a little bit of vintage style in your home.

As they mature, Yucca plants can grow about 2 metres in height so make it the perfect feature plant for your space. They are very slow-growing though so if you don’t have as much space, a smaller plant won’t outgrow the room very quickly.

They are very low maintenance and can adapt to most light levels, temperature and humidity levels but unfortunately, they are toxic to keep that in mind if you have pets or small children.

Find out more in our Yucca care guide.

5

Kentia Palm

Howea forsteriana

Kentia Palms are pretty hardy plants that can stand environments that many other houseplants wouldn’t be able to, making them quite easy to care for. They can grow up to 40 feet outdoors but will rarely get over 13 feet when kept indoors.

They can be quite fussy about watering however and prefer to get little and often as this stops their soil from drying out completely or being soggy for longer periods of time. They also aren’t great with having dusty leaves, so we recommend wiping them down with a damp cloth every now and then to keep them clean.

The good news is that they are completely safe and non-toxic, so perfect for homes with pets or kids!

Find out more in our Kentia Palm care guide.

6

Arrowhead Plant

Syngonium podophyllum

Native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, the Arrowhead great plant to have in your collection. When fully grown, they can reach nearly 2 meters tall with large leaves that can have a variety of colours and variegations.

As you can imagine, the Arrowhead likes warm and humid environments. Letting the soil dry out between waterings is a great way to mimic their natural habitats and making sure they have bright, but indirect light will stop the leaves from burning.

With them being a little pickier over humidity and placement, we wouldn’t always recommend them for a starter houseplant. They’re also mildly toxic to pets, which doesn’t make them the most friendly for households with cats or dogs.

Find out more in our Arrowhead Plant care guide.

7

Chinese Money Plant

Pilea Peperomioides

Otherwise known as the Chinese Money Plant (they are believed to bring good luck and fortune to its owner), Pilea plants are a must-have! They initially became popular because they are so easy to propagate which meant Pilea pups got passed around a lot between friends and family, earning itself the nickname ‘pass it on plant’

When it comes to care, Pilea’s are somewhere in-between fussy and low maintenance. They aren’t great in low light areas, and also hate soggy or super dry soil so finding the right balance is key for Pilea care.

As your Pilea matures, the leaves can reach up to about 10cm in diameter which is incredible and makes all of the effort worth it!

Find out more in our Chinese Money Plant care guide.

8

Lucky Bamboo

Dracaena sanderiana

Believed to bring good luck, the Lucky Bamboo is the ideal houseplant for those wanting to bring a little bit of greenery indoors, but who just don’t have the time or skill to give it much attention. The Lucky Bamboo thrives off being neglected and as long as they have enough sunlight and some warmth, they’ll happily live for a very long time. You can choose to grow them in either well-draining soil or a vase filled with water. The latter is great for forgetful waterers as there’s no risk of them drying out!

You can continue the gorgeous swirls on your Lucky Bamboo plants by simply rotating them every once in a while. The plant naturally grows towards the sunlight so you can use this to create the twists.

Find out more in our Lucky Bamboo care guide.

9

Peace Lily

Spathiphyllum wallisii

There’s a reason that Peace Lilies are so popular, and it’s not just because of their incredible white flowers. They are super low maintenance plants that can adapt and thrive in most homes. They can tolerate all light levels which is super rare for houseplants.

Our favourite thing about the Peace Lily is that it really helps us plant parents out by drooping its leaves when it really needs water. This can help you spot underwatering before it’s really a problem. Within minutes of watering, the leaves will perk up – it’s pretty cool! And if we haven’t sold you on the Peace Lily yet, then you should probably know that they are also one of the best plants at purifying the air and removing chemicals from your home!

Find out more in our Peace Lily care guide.

10

Snake Plant

Sansevieria Trifasciata

The bold and striking leaves of the Snake Plant make it stand out wherever you put it! Not only are they slow-growing, but they transcend upwards so are great for small desks or that corner of the office you don’t know what to do with. They have some of the sturdiest leaves or any houseplant, and their sharp leaf tips have given the plant the nickname of mother-in-laws-tongue!

When it comes to care, Snake Plant are super easy to look after, they can adapt to a range of light levels, prefer dry soil and don’t need much attention in the way of misting or repotting etc. So if you want a low maintenance, sturdy houseplant for your office then the Snake Plant is your perfect match!

Find out more in our Snake Plant care guide.

11

Marble Queen Pothos

Epipremnum Pinnatum

There are so many different varieties of Pothos plants, all with slightly different leaf variegation but the Marble Queen is definitely one of our favourites. Getting its name from the cream marble-like variegation on its leaves, it’s an easy-going, hardy and low light loving plant that can adapt to most spots in your home.

The Marble Queen Pothos is a pretty fast-growing plant so make sure you have enough space for it to mature. You can choose to grow them as trailing plants with long cascading vines (great for those office shelves) or vertically by attaching them to a moss pole. Pothos plants are unfortunately toxic so you’ll want to keep them away from pets and small children who might try and nibble on the low hanging leaves.

Find out more in our Marble Queen Pothos care guide.

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