14 Best Plants for Your Office
Office lights are far dimmer to a plant than they look to you. A desk that feels bright at noon can give a plant less light than a spot beside a shady window at home. Add the lights going off at night and on weekends, and you have a hard room for most plants.
That is why this list leans on plants that cope with lower light and some neglect. A few of them, like the money tree and the African violet, need a window or a small desk grow light, and their notes say so. Think about the calendar too. If nobody waters during a two-week holiday, pick from the drought tolerant plants here. And if your office is at home with a cat or dog nearby, read the pet notes before you buy.
How we picked: Each plant is listed for offices in our profiles, with extra weight on handling low light, dry office air, and missed waterings.
1.ZZ Plant
Zamioculcas zamiifoliaThe office classic. It keeps its shine under ceiling lights and rides out a long holiday thanks to water stored in its roots. Growth will be slow in a windowless room, perhaps a new stem a year. Water on a schedule and you risk rot, so check the soil first.
Read the full care guide →
2.Snake Plant
Dracaena trifasciataIts upright leaves need very little desk space, so it fits the corner of a desk or the top of a filing cabinet. Dry office air does not bother it. The real danger is a kind coworker with a watering can. Leave a note, because extra water rots it faster than neglect does.
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3.Pothos
Epipremnum aureumLet it trail off a shelf or a cubicle wall and it adds more green for the money than almost anything here. It keeps growing under office lights, only slower. Plan on a trim every few months or it turns into long, bare strings. It is toxic to pets.
Read the full care guide →
4.Chinese Evergreen
AglaonemaOffices full of gray and beige need color, and the silver types bring it without a window seat. It stays compact enough for a desk. Its one big fear is cold. Air conditioning vents and winter drafts below about 55°F can leave dark patches on the leaves.
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5.Kentia Palm
Howea forsterianaReception areas have relied on this palm for decades. It handles dim rooms and dry heat, and it gets tall so slowly that it will not crowd a meeting room for years. Check the top 2 inches of soil every week or two. It is pet-safe, handy when the office is at home and a dog sleeps under the desk.
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6.Heartleaf Philodendron
Philodendron hederaceumA good second vine if you already own a pothos. Its thinner, softer leaves drape in a neat curtain from a shelf, and it grows well under ceiling lights. Limp leaves are its signal for water, which is handy on busy days. It is toxic to cats and dogs, so think twice in a home office with pets.
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7.Lucky Bamboo
Dracaena sanderianaUnder steady office lights, a few stalks in a vase look tidy for months with almost no care. Swap the water weekly and keep the roots covered. Two things go wrong. Yellow canes do not recover, and a vase nobody cleans gets slimy. It is toxic to pets, so mind the home office cat.
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8.Haworthia
Haworthiopsis attenuataMost succulents fail at work because they need direct sun. This one copes with a bright desk near a window, even a north-facing one. It is tiny and very slow, so it will look about the same next year. Water it only when the soil is fully dry, roughly every few weeks.
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9.Dracaena Marginata
Dracaena reflexa var. angustifoliaNeed height in a meeting room or by a door? A dragon tree gets tall on a slim trunk, so it does not crowd the floor. It handles missed waterings and medium light. Its leaf tips brown easily from tap water salts, and lower leaves drop as it grows, which is normal.
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10.Corn Plant
Dracaena fragransCorn plants have stood in office corners for decades, and the reason is simple. They take medium light, forgive a missed watering, and grow slowly enough to stay in place. Hot sun through glass scorches the leaves, so keep it back from a south window. Brown tips often come from tap water salts.
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11.Money Tree
Pachira aquaticaThe braided trunk looks tidy and a bit formal, which suits a reception desk or a home office. It is pet-safe, too. It needs a spot near a window, though, not a dark corner. And once it is placed, leave it. Moving it to a new desk often makes it drop leaves for a while.
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12.Peace Lily
SpathiphyllumShared office plants often die because nobody knows whose turn it is to water. A peace lily ends that debate by drooping when it is dry. It stays green under office lights. Without a window nearby, though, expect leaves and no flowers. It is toxic to pets, which matters at home.
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13.Nerve Plant
Fittonia albivenisFew colorful plants grow under office lights, and this small one does. It stays only 3 to 8 inches tall, so it fits beside a keyboard. It needs water once or twice a week, though, and it faints flat when it is dry. That makes it a poor pick for anyone who travels.
Read the full care guide →
14.African Violet
Streptocarpus ionanthusIf you want flowers at your desk, this is the one, but it needs help. A small LED grow light on a timer, or a bright window, keeps it blooming. It also wants steady watering, so it suits the person who is at their desk every day, not the one who travels.
Read the full care guide →Before you buy for an office, find out three things. Do the lights stay on at night? Who waters during holidays? Does the heat or air conditioning blow on the spot you picked? The answers narrow this list fast. A forgotten ZZ plant in a dark office will usually outlast a fussy plant on the sunniest desk in the building.
Frequently asked questions
Can office plants live with only ceiling lights?
Some can. The ZZ plant, snake plant, pothos, and heartleaf philodendron cope with ceiling lights alone, though they grow slowly. A small LED grow light on the desk helps any of them.
How do I keep office plants alive over a long holiday?
Water them well a few days before you leave and move them out of hot, sunny spots. For trips over two weeks, ask someone to check them once, or stick to the ZZ and snake plant.
What is the best plant for a desk with no window?
A ZZ plant is the safest pick for a windowless desk. Add a small grow light on a timer if you want it to grow, or if you would rather have a pothos or an African violet.
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