Good quality air can have many different health benefits to the office team, especially now that the world is far more health conscious than it was before the pandemic. Office plants are a great way to purify the air in the space, and can make all the difference in small and bigger spaces. Today, we’ll touch on how plants help to purify the air around them, and which specific types are the best to consider when it comes to contributing to air purification in the office as a whole. We’ll touch on three different plant families or species, all of which have a wide variety of choices to consider.
How Plants Help With Purifying Air
Back in the late 1980’s, it was NASA that discovered the ability of houseplants to absorb harmful toxins from the air. This is especially true for enclosed spaces that have little to no air flow (like the inside of a spacecraft). Plants help to convert the carbon dioxide we exhale into fresh oxygen through photosynthesis, which purifies the air on a consistent basis. Although additional studies have shown that plants might not be as effective as air purifiers, they are a more affordable, versatile and aesthetically pleasing option that introduces a string of other benefits over and above just purifying the air. These include increased productivity, concentration and mood, as well as reducing stress and fatigue.
The Dracaena Plant Family
The Massangeana, Reflexa and Alchemy plants in the ExecuFlora catalogue are all part of the Dracaena family and great options to consider if you’re after options that will help to clean the air in the space they are placed in. These plants are great for first timers who are exploring their green thumb ambitions, but still have a lot to learn. They typically require damp soil, and are relatively easy to maintain as long as they aren’t overwatered. Keep these away from any office pets, as their leaves are likely to make them ill a short while after being ingested. Other than that, they are perfect for office spaces in need of fresh, cleaner air.
Aglaonema Plant Species
Aglaonema plants are common in South Africa, especially as many homeowners like to have Chinese evergreens in their gardens. They don’t require a lot of water in order to flourish, and it’s important to allow the compost to dry 100% before another round of watering. Because they like high humidity, and they should be repotted every couple of years, it may end up feeling like they’ll take a bit of time away from the team. In this case, choose another option from the Aglaonema family (which we have more than a handful of in our catalogue), which will still provide similar fresh air benefits to their Chinese evergreen counterpart.
The Araceae Plant Family
Although not all of them will provide equal benefit, some of the Aracea plant family is a great choice when it comes to cleaner, healthier air in the office. Peace lilies — which form part of a genus of almost 50 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the Aracea family — will not only tick the boxes in terms of its function in the office, but will look incredible at the same time. The NASA findings we mentioned early actually considered them one of the three best plants for getting rid of typical household and office toxins. You can’t go wrong by exploring having them in and around the office.