Everybody knows that having a plant sitting on your desk is a great way to stay healthy and productive. Unfortunately, nobody ever mentions the daily watering and pruning that goes with having one.
When you have an urgent report to finish by 5:00, a meeting to attend and fifteen e-mails to send off, the last thing you want on your mind is watering your plant! To help you out, we’ve made a list of the hardiest office plants out there that even a gardening novice should be able to care for.
While the plant species listed below are certainly low-maintenance in the world of plants, many people still manage to kill them — typically from over-watering. Reference our page about indoor plant watering tips for help.
Dracaena
Named for its red dragon blood-like stems, dracaena can be some of the toughest plants out there. Dracaena marginata for example can survive in drought-like conditions. It has a relentless root system which makes them tough to wilt — perfect for our purposes. Not only are they sturdy, but they look attractive on your desktop with their rich green, sword-like leaves.
Sansevieria
Possibly one of the more sinister, devilish-looking things in your office (that’s not your boss for a change), this plant offers a striking visual stimulus to your workspace.
One of the top reasons why people tend to kill their plants is due to the irregular care they provide. But sansevieria can last up to a month without water, survive in near total darkness and can be fully exposed to the sun for long periods.
Bromeliads
Perfect for reception areas or dotted along corridors, bromeliads may require a bit more maintenance at first in order to bloom – they are notorious for taking their time – but once they bloom, aside from the odd watering, they require very little care.
One of the main reasons for this is that they don’t require much fertilizer. All you need is water and someone to look at them once in a while. With their striking colors and beautiful blooms, this won’t be hard.
Zamioculcas Zamiifolia
Commonly abbreviated to the ZZ plant, its complicated-to-pronounce name isn’t indicative of how hard they are to maintain.
Their fat stalks and bulging roots store a huge amount of water. That means you don’t have to scurry around the office for the watering can every day.
A favorite for people who are guilty of killing their plants, the ZZ can also tolerate prolonged periods of low light. This makes it the perfect candidate as an office plant since winter periods can be quite dark and of course the office is sometimes closed. You may be thinking this all sounds great, but it gets better! You only have to fertilize it four times a year, so set a reminder and enjoy a hassle-free plant!
Cacti
Commonly found in dry, harsh deserts, the cacti plant is probably one of the only plants on this list that really does thrive on neglect. It can contain a huge amount of water enabling the plant to withstand even the most forgetful office dwellers. Cacti do prefer higher light, so a window is a good place for them to thrive.
