For office workers, a huge part of our life is spent indoors in an airconditioned space filled with computers, people and artificial light. Aside from popping up a few photos or inspiring pictures in your cubicle or using cute stationery, there isn’t much you can do within an office space to make it feel personal and connected to the outside world.
This is where hardy and robust indoor plants that thrive on neglect come in! Here are seven varieties that can withstand even the toughest offices environments.
For offices that suffer from very low levels or natural light, a ZZ plant is a hardy, green and glossy solution to your indoor plant woes. It can survive low light levels and are drought-tolerant.
If your office space gets a little indirect light a peace lily is a beautiful flowering indoor plant with verdant green leaves that are known for their air purification abilities.
The snake plant (AKA mother-in-laws tongue) is an indoor plant that even a blackthumb can keep alive with little effort. They’re striking enough to show a little personality and can also purify their immediate air space.
If you’re office is freezing one day then sweltering the next, the cast iron plant is a temperature-resilient variety is known for being low maintenance and being able to survive in almost any condition.
A rubber plant is another temperature-resilient variety with dark green, shiny leaves. It can either stay small in a little pot or be encouraged to grow into a large indoor tree.
If you have a small windowsill at your disposal there’s nothing more classic to an office environment than the cactus. While they need bright, indirect sun, all this plant needs is a water once a week during summer and barely at all in winter.
English ivy is another plant that will do on a windowsill. It’s a climber and fast-growing, and requires indirect sunlight, but it will grow up walls, so best to give it something to cling to, like a topiary.
This article originally appeared on Better Homes and Gardens.
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