Purifying & Uplifting
Let a little green into your space. We’ve already established all the benefits of adding plants to your workplace. In a past Waddell blog post, we discussed how bringing nature inside has anti-depressive effects and even the soil can help purify the air. Now, let’s move on to how just looking at leaves and stems can create a calming effect.

Fractal Patterns 
In a Smithsonian article, Richard Taylor, physicist at University of Oregon, explains the concept of fractals: “My scientific curiosity was stirred when I learned that many of nature’s objects are fractal, featuring patterns that repeat at increasingly fine magnifications. For example, think of a tree. First you see the big branches growing out of the trunk. Then you see smaller versions growing out of each big branch. As you keep zooming in, finer and finer branches appear, all the way down to the smallest twigs.”

Wakefully Relaxed
To further explain the importance of this finding, an article from The Atlantic titled Why Fractals Are So Soothing, the correlation is drawn between the repeating patterns in nature and lowering stress levels. It stated, “They discovered that in that same dimensional magic zone, the subjects’ frontal lobes easily produced the feel-good alpha brainwaves of a wakefully relaxed state.” 

Gaze at Greenery
There you have it. More reasons to include office plants. I’m sure none of us would turn down the opportunity to gaze at some greenery to relax our brains while we’re trying to solve our latest work conundrum.

Resilient Options
The question is: which plants are forgiving and can bounce back after perhaps missing a watering or two? There are many resilient options, and we’ll cover a few in this article. All three suggestions listed will tolerate lower light, longer watering intervals, and tend to be pest resistant.

Snake Plant
First up: snake plant, sansevieria, or mother-in-law’s tongue (funny, right?). This elegant plant gives height to a space and has a very modern look and feel. Since the plant itself is neutral, you can pick any style of pot and it will look fantastic. To see some variations of this plant and more details on care, check out this Spruce article.

ZZ Plant
Secondly, ZZ plant, or zamioculcas zamiifolia. Speaking of fractals, this plant has all the repeating patterns that help relax the brain. Most types are green, but there is a purple-hued variety called Black Raven. This Gardenista article explains that the ZZ plant, “has been around for centuries, originating in drought-prone Africa (where it thrives outdoors).” That should be an indicator of how this plant isn’t fussy and doesn’t need consistent watering.

Pothos
Lastly, pothos, or epipremnum aureum. This plant has a cascading effect, perfect for the top of bookcases or on a shelf. There are pothos with variegation and even some neon green colors. The title of the article Pothos Are So Easy To Care For It’s Stupid should give you reassurance that you can make this plant work in your space. In this picture, it’s used in a sort of living wall that creates a peaceful place for the eyes to rest.

Care

The general rule of thumb is to place your finger in the top inch of soil and if it’s dry, water it. This will end up being around every 7-14 days for the plants mentioned above. Your pot should have drainage in the bottom and you should keep watering until water comes out the drainage hole and collects in the saucer at the base. This watering strategy ensures you’ve reached all the roots and your plant is adequately hydrated.

Time to Grow
So, for a workplace that helps put minds at ease, consider incorporating a few plants. The three mentioned above are excellent options for the beginner, and as you learn and grow maybe you can move on to more challenging plants. Here’s to a healthier office!