6 Plants for Offices That Almost Thrive on Low-Light and Neglect

If you’ve pondered the many benefits of bringing plants indoors - such as into your office, but have stopped short because you were concerned about the low-light conditions in your building, or that you wouldn’t be able to spare the bandwidth to care for needy plants, never fret.

There are many plants you can bring inside that will not only flourish in low-light conditions but which will even seem to thrive better the less love you give them, making them the perfect addition to indoor planters in homes and offices across the country.

These are some of the most popular indoor plants for those very reasons:

1.Snake plants
These attractive, spiky plants, which belong to the genus Sansevieria, are native to tropical Africa.

Besides the fact that they are often strikingly colored in dark and bright greens and yellows, snake plants are popular for two other important reasons.

They absolutely love low-light conditions and can survive for several days without water in fairly dry soil.

That is, you can “set them and forget them.” They’re not likely to perish except under conditions of extreme neglect.

Plus, these plants are remarkably effective at filtering the air - which is one of the most oft-cited reasons for bringing the greenery indoors.

2.Spider plants
Spider plants are spiky-looking little things, sort of like snake plants, but they grow closer to the ground and have thinner, more fragile leaves.

Why are they popular indoors? Well, like snake plants, spider plants tolerate shady conditions. They even thrive in them. While they’re not as drought tolerant as snake plants, they can still survive several days in pretty dry soil.

Another great thing about spider plants is that they’re easy to propagate. You can turn one plant into many by cutting off small sections and replanting. Cuttings readily take root and can proliferate readily from the same original stock.

All-in-all, they are very hardy and easy to grow, especially indoors.

3.Bamboo

You might think of bamboo as a tropical plant that needs a great deal of light and heat to flourish, but this is not the case!

In fact, in the wild, bamboo often forms dense thickets that grow so closely that they almost entirely shut out sunlight to the forest floor. In these bamboo forests, only the tallest plants get direct sunlight. The younger plants, although they grow quickly, must do so in partial to full shade.

Why grow them indoors? Well, bamboo can tolerate shady environments, is relatively drought resistant, and grows quickly - so your plants will likely flourish.

Another great thing about bamboo is that some cultures see it as a symbol of good luck.

4.Pothos
Don’t let the lush green foliage and quick-growing nature of pothos fool you. It’s very tolerant of low light and only needs to be watered once the soil dries out, both of which factors make it one of the most popular indoor plants in the world.

Also, despite growing so quickly, pothos plants are not heavy feeders, which means they will flourish even with minimal care and attention. Another great thing about pothos is that, just like spider plants, you can propagate them easily.

Simply snip off one of the plant's leaves, keeping the node at the base of the leaf intact, bury the leaf stem and node, and water liberally. More likely than not, the cutting will take root!

5.Gerbera daisy
Gerbera daisies are one of those rare blooms that flourish well indoors, giving you the ability to bring not only verdure but bright blossoms inside as well, with the help of indoor planters!

Gerbera daisies don’t grow very tall, which makes them ideal for growing indoors where you don’t have a lot of space, since they won’t make it feel crowded. They’re also tolerant of shade, a condition of which many popular blooms are not.

The one thing you need to be aware of with gerbera daises is that while many plants on this list will tolerate drought, gerbera daisies will not. They should be watered every day or so.

If your gerbera daises are not blooming well, consider using a nitrogen and potassium heavy fertilizer, but one that is low in phosphorus, such as a 12-2-12 mix. This will encourage the plant to bloom and to continue blooming.

6.Dracaena
Dracaena is another popular indoor plant that looks a bit like a spider plant on a trunk. These plants are very versatile. They will flourish wonderfully in bright, indirect light, but are also tolerant of shade - they’ll just grow more slowly in shadier conditions.

Also, dracaena plants do well at room temperature, which is great since that’s about the level at which most offices are maintained.

They’re less tolerant of dry conditions than some of the other plants listed here, but all you need to do is keep the soil moist. Don’t overdo it! If the leaves start yellowing, that’s a sign of overwatering, so you can scale it back to find a healthy middle ground.

One of America’s Widest Selections of Indoor Planters!
These are some of our favorite plant suggestions for growing indoors - but there are countless others, and with the help of our indoor planters, bringing the outdoors in has never been easier!

We carry a wide range of indoor planters available in a diverse number of sizes, shapes, and finishes. Our fiberglass planters are specifically designed to be compatible with the widest number of indoor design schemes and for low-maintenance living.

Take a look through our collection of indoor and outdoor plant pots and planters (which are configurable with or without drainage holes) and let us know if you have questions on sizing, care, pricing, or anything else!