First-time plant parents might start with a baby cactus, which is surprisingly easy to care for but prefers a sunny spot. Decorate a corner of a desk, a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, or a console table with a few of these spiny succulents. Caution: Be careful not to prick yourself with the needles.
Whether displayed in a hanging pot or draped on a windowsill, English ivy makes a beautiful addition to your home office. With proper care, the vines can grow up to 10 feet and wrap around the space. This climbing plant does best in a medium to bright room and only needs to be watered about once a week.
Related: The best indoor hanging plants to fill your home with greenery
3
Perfect for a cold office
ZZ Plant
Not only is the ZZ plant popular for its air-purifying properties (cleaning the air during your 9-to-5 workday), it also thrives in a variety of environments. Its waxy green leaves grow best in bright, indirect sunlight, but can also tolerate low light (even windowless areas!) and very low humidity. Remember: this plant can be toxic to cats and dogs.
Related: Best air purifying plants to bring some greenery into your home
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Four
Best Feng Shui Picks
Money tree
One of the best plants for Feng Shui, the money tree is believed to bring positive energy, good fortune, and prosperity to the plant's parent. This popular houseplant thrives in bright, indirect sunlight and should be watered about once a week (or when the soil is 50-75% dry).
Related: How to care for your money tree to bring you good luck
With proper care, this “lucky” succulent can live up to 50 years, likely lasting until retirement. Its smooth, oval leaves and sturdy, woody stems thrive best in indirect to bright light and only need watering when the soil is bone dry. Bloomscape recommends keeping the plant pest-free by dusting it regularly.
Related: How to Grow and Care for Sedum
Another very beginner-friendly option is the air plant. Air plants don't need soil and can tolerate most lighting conditions. They only need to be soaked in water every week, then allowed to dry completely and placed back in their air plant holder. Choose a hanging option or opt for a sleek table lamp for your desk.
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While the white flowers may catch your eye, it's this plant's air-purifying properties that will really make it useful in the workplace. Make sure to place it in a bright location out of direct sunlight. Water it weekly and mist the leaves occasionally, especially during hot summer months.
8
Houseplants that don't die easily
Sansevieria
This is one of the hardiest houseplants you'll ever come across. This hardy plant doesn't need a ton of water or sunlight to grow. In fact, a small plant (like the one shown here) only needs to be watered once every 2-3 weeks. Always make sure the soil is completely dry before watering to prevent root rot.
Related: How to Grow and Care for Sansevieria
This large tropical plant will instantly create a jungle atmosphere and make you feel like you're on vacation while you work. This plant loves bright light, so place it in the sunniest corner of the room.
Related: The best tall indoor plants to liven up your space
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Place this plant on the corner of a desk or in a hanging pot, allowing its long, thin leaves to hang down undisturbed. Though it may prefer indirect light, this sprawling green plant will also thrive in low-light environments, like a dimly lit office. Water frequently to keep the soil moist.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Caring for a Spider Web Plant
Wondering why this two-tone leafed plant is called the prayer plant? The leaves are flat during the day and fold up at night to resemble praying hands. Bloomscape explains that it's an easy plant to grow, all you need to do is mist it once a week with water and keep it in a sunny spot.
If you've got floor space to spare, make a statement with this potted plant. Also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant, this beauty (just look at the leaves!) can grow anywhere, even in low to high light. Water when the top half of the soil is bone dry and fertilize monthly.
Related: How to Care for a Monstera
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There's a reason it's one of the most common houseplants: you can place it in any room that gets indirect sunlight or very little light. Just be sure to water it about once a week when the soil starts to dry out.
Plant this tall plant with broad leaves striped in white, green and lime green in a drab office corner. Watering once a week or every other week is sufficient. What are the ideal lighting conditions? It can maintain its unique color and shape even in low light conditions.
Aglaonema is a unique plant that is said to bring good luck. With its striking pink leaves, this plant is sure to bring joy and positive energy to your office. What's more, it can tolerate low light conditions, making it a great way to add color to your desk.
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16
The perfect windowsill plant
Aloe Vera
If you sit near a window, this succulent is best suited to do double duty: Place it in an area with indirect light and water it every 2-3 weeks. Once the leaves have developed, you can remove them from the plant and squeeze out the gel to treat burns, bruises, and wounds.
Related: How to Grow and Care for Aloe Vera Indoors and Outdoors
Be prepared: This fern's crinkly leaves give it a tropical vibe that might drive you crazy, but it's actually something to aspire to during your 9 to 5. Luckily, caring for this green plant is super easy: just give it low, indirect light and water it every 1 to 2 weeks.
These beautiful plants usually grow on trees or rocks, but they can also grow indoors and add a tropical touch to your home office. They love humidity, so make sure you have a mister or humidifier in your office. The soil can tolerate minimal watering, as their leaves absorb nutrients from the air.
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Credit: The Sill
Hoya carnosa variegata is also known as the “wax plant” for its thick, waxy green, white, and red variegated leaves. According to The Sill, it produces sweet-smelling flowers in medium to bright indirect light. It's an easy-care, pet-friendly plant that only requires watering every 1-2 weeks (best for a hybrid schedule).
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Credit: The Sill
Yes, coffee beans are an easy-care houseplant that you'll want in your kitchen or even your workspace. The Sill recommends watering it every 1-2 weeks. If you keep it in a low-light area, you'll need to water it less.
Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an Assistant Editor at Good Housekeeping, responsible for home and lifestyle content. Mariah has contributed to TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women's Health, and Avocado Magazine and has over four years of editing experience. She earned her Master's in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She is also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn, and showcase their work.
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the Associate Lifestyle Editor at Good Housekeeping, covering all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she contributed to publications such as ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine, and LODGING Magazine, as well as creating product copy for home brands such as BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
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