In light of the recent addition to the Busch Systems headquarters–a 34-foot living, breathing, the mind-altering wall–we figured it was only necessary to talk about plants that are perfect for the office. Adding just one of these gems, we have an immediate effect on your workplace atmosphere. Even the grumpiest Gus’ can’t ignore the effect.
10. Snake Plant
We know what you’re thinking, and no it will not invite snakes over to the office. The Snake Plant got its name (and it’s AKA name of Mother-in-law’s tongue) from the shape of its leaves. These plants efficiently remove nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde that suspiciously cruise throughout your office’s air and are also very low maintenance.
9. Peppermint Plant
Widely recognized as a multi-purpose plant, the peppermint plant is great as a cold remedy, skin remedy, cancer-fighter and can relieve the effects of irritable bowel syndrome. It smells great around the office and is very little maintenance like most of the other plants on this list. Just make sure your coworkers are snipping off the odd leaf for their nightly beverage of choice.
8. Areca Palm
Have an office that’s drier than a popcorn fart? Areca Palms are proven to be the most efficient–and natural–air humidifier you can invest in. Not to mention they’re very sexy and exotic looking.
7. Philodendron
All-day exposure to VOC’s and excess carbon monoxide has proven to increase drowsiness, headaches and lack of concentration. (Phi-Lo-Den-Dron’s) Snatch all the bad stuff out of the air and decrease the stress on people in the office. A little bit of water, a couple of gentle high-fives and one or two thank you’s is all these plants need to stay alive.
6. Peace Lily
Simply put, these green machines remove more VOC’s and air pollutants than any other household plant. And they love the shade more than a Sphynx with a sunburn so don’t worry if you don’t have lots of sunlight around the office.
5. Lemon Balm
Proven to boost your workplace mood and wellness, lemon balms are as easy going as they come. Put them in a dark corner and they’re happier than a pig in…mud. Place them in direct sunlight and they’re happier than a camel on hump day. Anywhere you put them, lemon balm’s will be happy and provide some sweet aromatherapy for everyone in the office.
4. Golden Pothos
Low light? No problem. Put these low-maintenance plants anywhere and they’ll remove a great deal of pollutants that’ll do more for your health than you even knew was possible. Just make sure the company cat doesn’t get its paws on it or it’ll have quite the upset stomach from the toxins inside the leaves.
3. Dracaena
The Dracaena is amazing for eliminating pollutants in the air. Strategically place a couple of these around your office and you’ll be feeling better and more productive in no time. However, be aware, these plants can grow up to 12 feet tall and devour precious space in your office.
2. English Ivy
NASA scientists listed the English ivy as the most efficient plant for removing air pollutants. More specifically, this Ivy League plant removes formaldehyde from the air–a highly toxic chemical that isn’t good for you no matter how you slice it. Granted, only at high levels will formaldehyde have an effect on your health, but we say better just to have a plant to take care of it for us.
1. Spider Plant
Spider plants are number one for many reasons. First of all, besides a few squirts of water here and there, these puppies take care of themselves, so if you’ve never taken care of a plant before, the spider plant is the place to start. Secondly, Spider plants are proven to be one of the top varieties for removing VOC’s and other pollutants from indoor air, which—like the other plants on this list—can drastically improve health and moods. And finally, Spider plants are great for boosting relative humidity and sucking up dust and unwanted air particles, which immediately has a relaxing effect on everyone in the workplace.
We’re not ones to wear suits all the time, but when we do with our friendly spider plants around–we’re not sweating it.
Well, there you have it! The top 10 plants we at Busch Systems think you should invite over to your office to improve the overall well-being of your fellow employees. Choose any one of these plants and you’ll be sure to see productivity increase, headaches and sick days decrease and a lot less water cooler gossip due to a boost in everyone’s mood.
Stay tuned because next week we’ll let you know which plants will end up starting a brawl in the lunch room–not really, but they certainly aren’t going to increase productivity.
