Your organization needs employees and co-workers who are engaged, energized and ready to get things done. How can you fail to accomplish this? Give them a boring workspace. Too many office space planners ignore the importance of interior design, opting instead to focus on functionality and cost-efficiency. Unfortunately, this oversight often results in less motivated employees. But we’ve got good news: With office plants, your business can easily bridge the gap between functionality and aesthetic appeal.
Advantages of Office Plants
As humans, we know our surroundings have a surprising effect on how we feel and operate. You’re naturally going to feel different in a sterile white room than you would in a state park. The primary basis of plant design, especially office plant design, is to use these reactions to our advantage, making spaces that are functional as well as aesthetically effective. Plants are some of the best tools in a designer’s arsenal, offering a host of benefits at a relatively inexpensive cost. Several studies have shown that by simply installing and maintaining plants throughout an office, workers experienced improved:
Air quality:Adding plants to an office space can significantly improve air quality, with the best ratio being one plant to every three employees. By introducing this number of plants, offices can effectively lower CO2 by 50 percent while also reducing dust, bacteria and mold in the air by up to 20 percent. Even man-made toxins emitted by plastics, paints and cleaning products can be cut down by plants! They also improve air humidity, increasing it by 20 percent on average.
Health:Improved air quality also contributes to improved worker health. Many office-related diseases are linked to air quality, so enhancing air quality can efficiently and consistently boost employee health and attendance. Workers who have plants around their workplaces report reduced incidences of diseases ranging from the cold and flu to headaches and skin issues. In turn, this change helps reduce employee absences, improving the overall efficiency of a business.
Stress state:Improved air quality has also been attributed to stress reduction, lowering anxiety, depression, mood issues and fatigue substantially and improving employee motivation and satisfaction overall. This phenomenon is also attributed to human’s psychological affinity for plant life.
Productivity:Productivity is another factor that increases with the amount of plant life in an office. Lower carbon dioxide levels are linked to better performance in cognition and concentration tests, which are the key components of overall productivity and accuracy.
Noise conditions:One of the lesser-known advantages of plants in the office is the fact that they can contribute to noise reduction. Plants are excellent at absorbing sound waves, reducing the incidence of distracting ambient noise and allowing employees to focus on their tasks. For this reason, many open-concept offices use plants as sound barriers between employee stations.
Satisfaction: Many studies have found that plants increase creativity and satisfaction, a trend that is often attributed to our psychological ties to nature and plant life. This change is a huge contributor to overall motivation since satisfied employees are more likely to work harder and longer than dissatisfied ones. It also helps the office become a welcoming place for clients, who are just as impressed by your office’s design as your employees.
Best Plants for the Office
To make the most of your office’s decision to include plants in its layout, choose ones that will work well in an office environment. The plants must perform well with limited maintenance and in air-conditioned areas. Some of the most popular types of plants used in offices include:
Jade:Jade, also known as Crassula ovata, is a small flowering succulent. Also called the money plant, jade is associated with financial success as much as it is with luscious leaves. It’s the perfect desktop companion.
African violet:The African violet, also called the Saintpaulia, is a low-growing flower. It does require a bit more care than succulents and other plants, but it’s a beautiful, small plant that will fit nicely on even the smallest desktop.
Aloe:Aloe plants are a great choice for any office space, both for their air cleaning potential and for their utility. These plants come in sizes small enough for most desks and don’t require a lot of maintenance. The gel inside their leaves also has medicinal properties, reducing the pain of cuts and burns.
Spider plants:The Chlorophytum comosum, known more commonly as the spider plant, is probably one of the easiest indoor plants to grow and care for. Usually displayed in hanging baskets, the leaves of these plants grow in spider-like shapes, creating visual interest wherever they’re placed.
Cactus:Succulents are always a great choice for the office for their reduced water needs, and a cactus or two can give your desk a little bit of prickly personality. Be sure to place this plant in an area with lots of sunlight and plenty of elbow room!
Pothos:The pothos plant is an office favorite, with broad variegated leaves and a low-maintenance nature that makes it great both indoors and outdoors. Also called the Epipremnum aureum, this flowering plant fits perfectly on most desks and can also do well as a hanging plant.
Snake plant:The snake plant, or Sansevieria trifasciata, has tall spikes of leaves with brightly colored margins. Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, these spire-like leaves are attractive and interesting to look at, creating lovely natural partitions while requiring very little care.
English ivy:Also called the Hedera helix, the English ivy is an evergreen vine that is effective at filtering the air of formaldehyde and other air matriculates. With gorgeous leaves and interesting berries, this ivy is a good plant to have around to improve your office’s air quality.
Parlor palm:This small palm tree, also called Chamaedorea elegans, is a great addition to any office space if you want a bit of a tropical feel. The tree creates a natural separation in your office and requires little maintenance or light.
Peace lily:The peace lily is popular in residential and office spaces alike, cleaning the air while gracing everyone with its gorgeous appearance. Also called Spathiphyllum, this space-filling flower is great for any office space, regardless of the amount of light the area takes in.
Chinese evergreen:The Chinese evergreen, also called Aglaonema, requires little to no watering, light or maintenance. It’s a great choice if you want to filter toxins from your office space’s air.
While these are some of the most common plants in office spaces around the U.S., they’re far from the only ones. Take a look at other office spaces in your area to discover what kinds of plants they have in their decor, and talk to Plant Escape about some less common options available if you really want to step up your office plant game!
Get a Free Estimate
If you’re looking for the best office plants in Denver, Plant Escape can help. We’re a professional plant design and care service provider in Denver, and we’re interested in helping your business decorate and maintain its foliage. We’ve served Denver and the surrounding area for over 40 years, helping both residential and commercial locations develop and care for their incredible interior and exterior plant environments. For more information, contact us today at 303.584.0496 for a free consultation and estimate.
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