Office Plants

The real challenge

The first office-plant killer is the weekend gap: a typical office is empty Friday afternoon through Monday morning, so a plant that dries out on Saturday waits until Monday for water. The second killer is fluorescent-only light — NC State Extension lists 50 foot-candles as the average light level in an office, inside its low-light range, and notes that ceiling fluorescent lights provide limited benefit for plants on the floor.

Measure your light first

Measure light AT your desk surface, not at the ceiling. NC State Extension puts the average office at 50 foot-candles, within its low-light band (25 to 74 fc to maintain growth), and says spaces lit only by artificial light are usually low-light situations. Desks within 4 feet of a large south-, east- or west-facing window count as high light by the same source and open up philodendron, pothos, and palm options.

Top 5 picks

1. 1
   Snake Plant

   Drought-tolerant and low-light tolerant; NC State Extension calls it durable, easily grown and difficult to kill. The single most resilient office plant.

2. 2
   ZZ Plant

   Weekend-proof: NC State Extension calls it highly drought tolerant and says it will grow in very low light, even in areas with only fluorescent light.

3. 3
   Pothos

   For trailing visual interest off a monitor or shelf. Survives any office light condition and bounces back fast from missed waterings.

4. 4
   Spider Plant

   For a hanging or shelved presentation that doesn’t take desk space. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs, useful if your office shares space with a colleague’s dog.

5. 5
   Cast Iron Plant or Parlor Palm

   For a desk floor plant. Clemson HGIC lists both cast iron plant and parlor palm among its low-light plants, and MU Extension calls cast iron plant one of the best plants where only low light conditions exist.

What NOT to buy

Avoid succulents and cacti unless your desk is at a south-facing window — they will etiolate (stretch and pale) under fluorescents. Skip fiddle leaf figs (need stable bright light), calatheas (need humidity offices never provide), and most ferns (need humidity).

Care adjustments for this environment

Check the soil before you leave for the weekend and water if it is dry, so the plant goes into the weekend with as much soil moisture as possible. Use a self-watering pot or wick system if you travel for work. Skip fertilizer entirely — office plants do not have the light to use it (Clemson HGIC says foliage plants need at least 200 foot-candles for 12 hours a day to benefit from fertilization), and fertilizer in low light causes salt buildup and leaf burn.