Your Home Office is a Place to Raise Some Green

What’s true of your home is true of your home office: plants are good for you. The ultimate mood booster, they filter air, reduce stress, and improve your overall sense of well-being. They also happen to make great backdrops for video meetings.

Give your work environment the care it—and you—deserves. Transform your home office into a space that truly makes you as happy as your garden, bedroom, or man cave does. 

 Whether your home office is bright or … well, not so much, here are some perfect plants for your workspace:

My office is sunny!

Succulents. These cactus cousins come in an enormous variety and don’t need frequent watering. Pot them in a fast-draining cactus mix and let them dry out between waterings. Perfect for desktops, shelves, and other small spaces.

Croton. Want to impress the folks on your video calls? A strategically placed croton ought to do the trick. Its colorful leaves love sunny spots. Plant in well-draining soil, keep the soil moist, and mist them daily to avoid mites. 

 Ficus. Also known as a fiddle plant or rubber plant, the popular ficus is actually a relative of the fig tree. Give them plenty of bright, indirect light and a rich, well-draining soil. Water consistently and, in dry homes, mist frequently. Place on floor in a corner and don’t move it too much.

My office is shady!

Dracaena. No, it’s not a Harry Potter spell. Dracaena refers to any one of the many varied species of its genus, usually characterized by spearlike leaves branching off a woody, cane-like central stem. They like shade or partial light, and thrive in rich potting soil or compost. Water regularly, keeping the soil moist.

 ZZ plant. Also known as Zanzibar gem, this fun plant boasts glossy oval-shaped leaves that might have people thinking you hired an interior designer. Perfect for “black” thumbs who seem to kill every plant they come near, the ZZ plant is very forgiving, needing only moderate light and a watering every couple of weeks or so … or longer.

 Ferns. These plants—of which there are thousands of varieties—are amazing and typically low maintenance. Popular varieties include crocodile fern, birds nest fern, and Boston fern. Place them in dappled shade in well-draining soil, and water regularly, keeping soil moist. No room on your desktop? Try hanging your ferns!