There are many reasons to have indoor plants in offices.

Besides looking beautiful and creating a more welcoming and gezellig workplace, research shows that there are numerous scientific benefits to having plants in your space as well. Plants have been proven to boost your mood, improve memory, and increase productivity.

Unfortunately, the spaces we seem to spend most of our time and need to be at our best (the office), tend to be lacking in greenery. Office spaces can sometimes interfere with our efforts to achieve optimum wellness, but office plants have the ability to counteract many of these negative effects.

How Office Plants Help Improve Memory and Concentration

Have you ever had those days where you spend a little too much time staring at a blinking cursor or had days where words were trapped on the tip of your tongue? What you may have needed was some plant therapy. 

A research study conducted at Exeter University in the U.K. found that indoor plants can improve concentration, productivity and staff well-being by 47%. They also discovered that plants can boost memory by up to 20%. Other studies even show that plants can boost a host of other cognitive skills such as creative thinking, spatial processing and more. 

These effects likely come from a plant’s stimulating colors, energizing aromas and oxygenating abilities. Striking the right balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide is key to optimal brain function. 

Since many of us spend several hours indoors, we’re exposed to higher amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). Higher levels of CO2 make it harder to concentrate, think clearly, and make decisions. The oxygen generated by indoor plants, however, helps balance the levels of carbon dioxide in our bodies. 

It’s the reason why time spent outdoors and “getting a breath of fresh air” clears our minds. With that said, you can only take so many breaks outside when on the job, but office plants can give you a breath of fresh air right at your desk. 

How Office Plants Help Relieve Stress and Anxiety 

Let’s face it – no one truly lives stress-free in the 21st century. Whether it’s relationship drama, world events or traffic at rush hour, we all face a countless number of stressors on a daily basis. The office itself is stressful with its neverending stream of tasks, deadlines, and meetings.

Fortunately, office plants can help reduce stress at work.

Many species of plants carry distinct scents that serve as a form of aromatherapy. The smell of flowers such as jasmine and lavender, for example, has been shown to relieve stress and anxiety and replace them with feelings of calmness and relaxation. 

There’s also the sedating effect of plant colors. Many of you are familiar with how different colors can affect your mind – it’s the reason why room colors give a certain “feel”. Plants are no different. 

For example, eyeballing the color green has been shown to produce emotional stability and boost concentration. 

The Best Office Plants to Keep at Your Desk 

Naturally, you might be curious as to which office plants will give you the brain-boosting benefits mentions above. Just about any plant will improve your sense of well-being in some way, but of course, some plant species stand out more than others. 

Here at Bloomscape, we offer dozens of species that are air-purifying specialists, which in turn, help clear your mind. 

Spider Plant

One of our most popular plants, the Spider Plant, is a natural air purifier. NASA’s Clean Air Study found that spider plants were most effective at removing carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, xylene and toluene from the air.

These gases and compounds can affect your ability to think, not to mention cause a long list of unpleasant ailments ranging from allergies to cancer. 

Additionally, when spider plants were placed in certain hospital rooms, observers noted that patients in these rooms experienced benefits that others didn’t. They included lower blood pressure, reduced pain and anxiety, and less fatigue. 

Dracaena Marginata

Just like spider plants, the Dracaena Marginata plant is a natural “air scrubbers.” They too remove the same chemicals that spider plants do, in addition to cigarette smoke, the smell of synthetic materials and benzene (which can cause cancer). The dracaena plant is also brightly-colored, which as was stated earlier, can be stimulating for your mind just by looking at it. 

Sansevieria

The Sansevieria or Snake Plant is another air-purifying plant. This extremely hardy plant can thrive in nearly any type of setting. The Sansevieria’s adaptability makes it a perfect plant for offices because it won’t mind the air-conditioning, fluorescent lights, and won’t need to be watered very often.

Office Plants – Making You Smarter and Happier

If your desk is a bit bare and you’re looking for a brain boost, it’s time to consider getting yourself some office plants. They’re a natural and cost-effective fix for the mental fog and sluggishness you may feel without the side-effects caffeine and “smart drugs.”

As the saying goes, “nature knows best” and this is certainly true for office productivity and wellness.

Visit our shop to find plants for your office, shipped to you quickly within the continental United States.