FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What makes a good office plant?

Office plants that work best are those that require low levels of light, and they usually have developed large, green leaves that capture what light they can and use them to grow. Humans will look at a space with lots of windows and assume that plenty of light is getting through, but that may not be the case if you’re a plant. For the same reason you take off your sunglasses when you come indoors, there is a lot less perceived light indoors if you are a plant.

Kentia Palms make great office plants with the right amount of light

Another consideration when selecting office plants is the growth rate. Generally, most people want a plant that doesn’t grow very fast because fast-growing plants require a lot of maintenance and pruning. Plants that grow too much will intrude upon walkways, hit the ceiling, make a mess, or become a nuisance.

Where should plants be placed in the office?

Placing live office plants anywhere in an office environment where employees are located will provide organizations with the benefits of fresher air quality, improving people’s moods, productivity, and creativity, reduce absenteeism as well as creating a “wow” factor in the physical design of the workplace. 

The best areas for plants will have good lighting from windows or overhead lights and be seen by as many people as possible. High traffic, high visibility areas such as in the lobby, the end of a hallway, and in open areas are good choices.  Plants can be used to block unsightly pillars, cables, or to keep people from accidentally walking into large glass panels.  Plants make great partitions to direct traffic or separate seating areas from walkways.

These plants separate the seating area from the walkway

One area that would not be a good place for a live office plant is a location that our service technician cannot access on a regular basis. For example, if a conference room is always booked and it isn’t feasible for us to come in during a meeting to service that plant, it would be best not to have a plant in that location.

Plant blocking plate glass window for safety

Which office plants are good for indoors? Which are best as office desk plants?

We provide and service nearly any indoor plant available! Take a look at our extensive office plant catalog and when we design your interior landscaping proposal, we can help you decide which of these plants would be best as floor plants, wall plants, hanging plants or office desk plants.

How do you take care of office plants?

Our staff of experienced technicians is tasked with maintaining the health and lush appearance of your interior plants. Our interior plant maintenance service and Guaranteed Replacement Program features a complete guarantee on all office plants under contract. Your plants will be watered, fertilized, cleaned and trimmed on a set schedule by our professionally trained, uniformed technicians. Any office plant that loses its healthy, beautiful appearance will be replaced at no cost to you.

In addition, our quality assurance team conducts periodic inspections of every interior plant and checks in with you about any observations or concerns about your interior plants or about our interior plant service that you might have. We believe that periodic visits and proactive communication work hand-in-hand to ensure that your interior plants remain vibrant and you stay happy!

Why does an office plant need to be dusted?

While live office plants require much less dusting than artificial plants and the furniture that surrounds it, interior plants do need dusting to help the plants absorb as much light as it needs to thrive in its environment.

Why are plants good for the office? How do plants improve office spaces?

Office plants improve the work environment in several ways:
• Improving office air quality – university studies have shown that indoor plants can clean the air, which is especially advantageous in an office environment where people spend a great deal of time. Carpets and paint and other things that we use indoors do carry chemicals and plants can absorb them and produce fresh, clean, oxygen. Those same studies indicate that increasing the relative humidity has a relaxing effect on people, reduces dust and removes allergy-inducing particles.
• Improving employee moods – one plant may only have a modest effect, but several plants make buildings look less drab or dreary and more sophisticated plant displays can look a lot like artwork, which has a definite impact on elevating one’s mood.
• Increased employee productivity – university studies have been done that show that employees with access to indoor plants perform better and are more productive. People feel better, work better, and perform better when they can see greenery, nature, and have access to live plants. In addition, plants can reduce noise that helps with concentration.
• Adding a “wow” factor to the dry, plain look of cubicles and offices. In addition, anything that can break up lots of brown or plain white or gray that often adorn walls, floors and rooms in modern office buildings can help encourage wellness.

These Are Four Great Floor Plants For The Office.

Are good quality office plants expensive?

Our primary goal is to bring the environmental benefits of indoor office plants into as many working environments as possible. To accomplish this we have developed innovative and very cost effective pricing programs to have high quality office plants that meet the budget needs of most commercial clients.

Are there any health concerns that come with office plants?

As mentioned above, having live office plants in your office does wonders for the health of employees and yourself. They have several beneficial effects, but there are some potential health issues that you should consider:
• Some people have allergies to certain plants, the severity of which depends on how their body reacts. To some, it might be a little bit of sneezing, but someone else might have a severe reaction to touching a certain plant or even breathing around them. Be aware of those around you and choose plants carefully.
• If you have an office that allows pets or children in from time to time, you should take caution in your plant placement. Small children and animals may be tempted to take a bite out of a plant that is right at their level, and those plants can be toxic if ingested.
• Some people worry about mold and other issues with office plants, but for the average person there is no risk of molds. However, this can change if someone in your office has an illness that causes a compromised immune system. This can make them ultra-sensitive to molds or bacteria. Hospitals and doctor’s offices have to be cautious because they frequently have patients with compromised immune systems. Since you need a truly sanitary environment in these areas, things like cut flowers in vases or plants sitting in saucers containing standing water can be of concern. Molds and other bacteria can infest plants that are over-watered or that have been sitting in vases containing water for a long time. Fortunately, our office plant containers minimize the risk of mold to your environment.

What kills office plants? What is the most common reason that office plants die?

While we have had isolated cases where a plant dies because somebody poured their drink into a plant, or sat/fell on a plant, the most common reason we are brought in to take over the service of an offices’ plants is because of improper watering, which leads to stress that will eventually kill the plant.

What is an indoor vertical garden or green living wall?

It’s a vertical planting system, usually up against a wall, filled with a variety of plants that is used for interior design purposes. The real benefit of a green wall or vertical garden is that you can get a lot more plants into the office, using a lot less space. Since the green wall is vertical, it puts many plants into a smaller space without spreading out horizontally and taking up as much square footage.

This Green Living Wall Contains 64 Plants.

Should we name our office plants and talk to them?

Absolutely! Many of our clients name their plants and refer to them by name when we come for their regular maintenance visits. There are many studies that verify that plant growth is influenced by sound. Many found that at the average human conversational tone (70 decibels) there was increased production in plants. Not only will your plants benefit from your conversations, but you may get a psychological boost as well.