It’s no secret that plants are both an ongoing commercial interior trend and a proven way to improve physical health and mental wellbeing. What can come as a bit of a surprise though is the demands of maintenance if you don’t pick the right plants.
The season does, of course, have a massive impact on how much care your indoor jungle will require. So, with autumn upon us and winter just around the corner, we thought we’d compile a list of the plants you need to be looking out for if you want low maintenance levels and resilience in the face of harsher climes.
If you’re on the hunt for the best indoor office plants this autumn or winter, we recommend:
- Snake plants
- Devil’s Ivy
- Peace Lily
- English Ivy
- Jade plants
- Bamboo
- Spider plants
Let’s take a look at why these botanical badasses are so sturdy when it comes to the colder months…
Snake Plants (Sansevieria Trifasciata)
Snake plants (pictured above) can survive low levels of natural light and virtually no water for a prolonged period of time. So when daylight hours draw to a minimum and you’re too busy rushing back home to the warmth of your bed to water the plants, this species will still stand strong.
Their vertical shape and vibrant green colour also provide an interesting visual element in a variety of different work settings.
Devil’s Ivy (Pathos)
This plant is known for how well it thrives in dark spaces (or areas with limited natural light) making it perfect for enclosed workplaces which are even darker in the winter.
We made use of Devil’s Ivy in the coworking space we created within the University of Manchester Innovation Centre atrium pictured below. We draped it over bespoke Axiom storage units to create an interesting contrast between hard, industrial lines and soft, natural elements.
Cacti
While cacti (or cactus) do require a certain of natural light to grow to complete health, they are still a popular choice of office plant thanks to their low maintenance demands. In fact, they only need watering every 3 (or so) weeks during the winter months.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
The Peace Lily plant (pictured below) prefers to stay out of direct light (great for reduced hours of daylight) and will be perfectly happy if you just make sure the soil stays reasonably moist and mist its leaves regularly.
This plant is also known to have significant air purifying qualities which is a great way to go about improving the quality of your indoor air.
English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
Although English Ivy requires a fair amount of water and attention in its early life, once it has grown, it can go a good few days without being watered. It also thrives most effectively in cooler temperatures, making it the ideal indoor plant for autumn and winter when warmth is nothing but a distant memory.
Jade Plants (Crassula Ovata)
With the ability to survive in very low levels of light, Jade plants (an example pictured below) can live in almost any part of a workplace. Whether it’s in a private office behind closed doors, or out in the open where natural light is limited anyway during this season, your Jade plants will be perfectly happy and healthy.
The soil of a Jade plant needs to be dried out before it needs watering so again, this species comes with the benefit of low maintenance demands.
Bamboo
There are many types of bamboo plant which prefer to stay out of sunlight and actually thrive most effectively in partial shade. When hours of daylight are reduced and natural light is limited, bamboo plants are therefore a sensible option.
Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum)
Spider plants (example pictured below) get their name from their delicate, wispy appearance and are a popular choice for both commercial and residential indoor environments.
This type of plant requires minimum watering and prefers to live in areas where they can stay out of direct sunlight.
More indoor plants which prefer low light:
- Red Aglaonema
- Rex Begonia
- ZZ Plant
Again, favouring low levels of light or indirect light makes these plants the perfect choice during the winter months where hours of daylight are significantly reduced.
