Incorporating houseplants into the office has many benefits, including promoting employee health, reducing stress, and improving concentration. It is also important for improving air quality and corporate image.
In this article, we will introduce the benefits of having houseplants in your office, how to choose them, key points to manage them, and recommended plants.
Advantages of having houseplants in the office
Incorporating houseplants into your office environment can improve the health and comfort of your employees, as well as your company's image. Introducing the benefits of having houseplants in your office.
air quality improves
Houseplants have the effect of improving the air environment in offices by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen during the photosynthesis process.
In particular, many plants are said to have the ability to absorb and decompose harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde and benzene, which are problematic in offices, leading to improved indoor air quality.
Another great benefit is that the humidity can be maintained at a suitable level due to transpiration from the plants. By providing a natural humidifying effect in office environments that tend to be dry, you can prevent your throat and eyes from drying out and maintain a comfortable environment.
This effect is especially noticeable in the winter when dryness caused by air conditioning is a problem.
reduce stress
Incorporating greenery into the office has a great effect on reducing stress for employees. Research has shown that witnessing nature activates the parasympathetic nervous system and has a relaxing effect.
In particular, it can be expected to be effective in reducing mental fatigue caused by long hours of desk work.
The presence of plants also brings moisture to the office space and has the effect of softening the office environment, which tends to be inorganic.
Psychological research has also shown that environments with greenery suppress the secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone. It will also help maintain and improve the mental health of employees.
relieve eye fatigue
Eye strain from using digital devices such as computers and smartphones for long periods of time has become a serious problem for modern office workers. Green houseplants are known to be effective in relieving eye fatigue.
In particular, the natural green color of plants has a different wavelength from blue light, which causes eye fatigue, and has a calming effect on the visual system.
By regularly looking at your houseplants, you can expect to reduce eye strain caused by looking at them up close. You can also expect to have the effect of refreshing your eye muscles by adjusting your focus for distance and distance.
In addition, the natural fluctuations and changes in the shape of plant leaves encourage eye movement and help relieve visual fatigue.
Improves concentration
Various studies have reported that placing houseplants in the office can improve employees' concentration. It is said that a green environment helps the brain recover from fatigue, making it possible to maintain concentration for a longer period of time.
This effect is particularly likely to be seen in creative tasks and tasks that require complex problem solving.
In addition, the presence of plants has a moderate relaxing effect, reducing excessive tension and stress and allowing you to concentrate in a more natural state.
Furthermore, the air quality improvement effect of plants also activates the brain and improves work efficiency.
Improves corporate image
An office with effective placement of houseplants will make a good impression on visitors. A corporate attitude that emphasizes harmony with nature shows a high degree of concern for the environment and the health of employees, leading to an improved corporate image.
In particular, you can expect to improve your image more effectively by placing it appropriately in places where it can be seen by visitors, such as entrances and meeting spaces.
In addition, in this day and age where efforts to achieve the SDGs are emphasized, office greening is highly regarded as a concrete environmentally friendly initiative. A comfortable office environment is also an important selling point when recruiting employees, and it also helps secure excellent human resources.
Tips for placing houseplants in the office
Introducing houseplants into your office requires proper planning and management. By paying attention to the following points, you can achieve more effective office greening.
Select the type according to the amount of light and humidity of the place where it will be installed.
The most important thing when choosing houseplants is to choose plants that match the environmental conditions of the location where they will be installed. The amount of light varies greatly depending on the location and direction of office windows, the usage of blinds, etc.
For areas that receive direct sunlight, choose plants that are light tolerant, and for areas that receive shade, choose plants that are shade tolerant.
Additionally, humidity differs from place to place due to the influence of air conditioning and sunlight conditions. In particular, areas near air conditioning vents tend to dry out easily, so choose plants that are drought tolerant.
In addition, by choosing an appropriate installation method depending on the location, such as floor placement, shelf placement, or hanging, you can make effective use of limited space.
Increase green visibility rate to 10-15%
The ideal green visibility rate (percentage of greenery visible) in office spaces is considered to be 10-15%. This ratio is considered to be the optimal level that can be expected to have both a relaxing effect and improved concentration.
However, the appropriate green visibility rate may differ depending on the office layout and business content.
When adjusting the green visibility rate, it is important to consider the size and placement of plants. By arranging large foliage plants well, you can ensure effective green visibility even with a small number of plants.
By taking into account the movement of the eye from the desk and placing plants where they can be seen naturally, it is possible to create a more effective environment.
If it is difficult to maintain, use fake greenery.
In areas where maintenance is a heavy burden or where sufficient light cannot be secured, using fake greenery is an effective option.
Fake greenery these days has a highly sophisticated appearance, and many of them are difficult to distinguish from real plants. The use of fake greenery is especially recommended in environments where regular maintenance is difficult, such as high places, hard-to-reach locations, or 24-hour offices.
It is also possible to achieve even more effective greening by combining real plants and fake greenery. For example, you can create a layout plan that takes into account the balance between maintainability and visual effect, such as placing real plants in main areas and fake greenery in secondary areas.
Perform regular maintenance
Proper maintenance is essential to keeping houseplants healthy. Necessary management tasks such as watering, adjusting sunlight, cleaning leaves, and applying fertilizers must be carried out regularly. In particular, when it comes to watering, the appropriate frequency varies depending on the type of plant, the season, and the environment where it is installed, so management needs to be tailored to each individual plant.
It is also important to decide who will be in charge of maintenance. If you decide to appoint someone in-house, you should choose someone with appropriate knowledge of plant management methods, and consider providing training if necessary. In addition, by outsourcing management to a specialist, you can maintain and manage your plants more reliably.
Recommended houseplants for the office
There are many types of houseplants that are suitable for office environments. It is important to select the most suitable plants, taking into consideration the characteristics of each plant, ease of management, spatial effect, etc.
pachira
Pachira is a popular ornamental plant with its characteristic woven trunk. It is suitable for use in offices because it has high shade resistance and is relatively easy to manage.
Because it grows large, it is ideal as a symbolic tree in large spaces such as entrances and lobbies. It also has a high air purification effect and contributes to improving indoor air quality.
Pachira is particularly suitable for offices such as:
- Office with high ceilings and open space
- An office where you want to place large foliage plants at the entrance
- An office with plenty of indirect light
- Offices seeking symbolic plants
pothos
Pothos is a climbing plant that is very easy to maintain, making it a popular plant in offices. It has excellent shade tolerance and is strong enough to adapt to various environments.
The hanging stems and leaves are beautiful, making them suitable for use on shelves or for hanging. It also has a high air purifying effect, and is said to be particularly effective in removing formaldehyde.
Ideal for offices with the following characteristics:
- An office where you want to incorporate greenery on your desk or shelf
- Offices that require minimal maintenance
- Offices where you want to decorate partitions and walls
- An office where you want to grow plants even in a relatively dark environment
ivy
Ivy is a climbing plant with beautiful leaves and is highly decorative.
It can also be grown vertically, making it suitable for wall greening and partition decoration. It also has a high air purifying effect, and is said to be particularly effective in removing benzene.
Ivy is recommended for use in the following offices.
- Offices where you want to green walls and partitions
- Offices seeking a green presentation with a high level of design
- An office where you want to incorporate greenery even in a compact space
- Offices that emphasize air purification effects
monstera
Monstera is an attractive ornamental plant with large leaves with distinctive notches. It grows relatively quickly and can create a striking greenery. It is shade tolerant and suitable for indoor cultivation. The large leaves have a high humidifying effect and are suitable for controlling humidity in offices.
Especially suitable for offices such as:
- Offices seeking a modern and stylish atmosphere
- An office with space for large houseplants
- Offices that emphasize humidity control
- Offices that seek plants as part of highly designed interiors
Artesima
Artesima is an ornamental plant with glossy dark green leaves. It is a plant that is shade tolerant and relatively easy to manage. The compact tree shape does not take up much space, making it suitable for use on desk sides or in small spaces. It also has a high air purification effect, leading to an improvement in the indoor environment.
Recommended for use in the following offices.
- Offices that want to incorporate greenery even with limited space
- Offices that require plants that give a simple and smart impression
- Offices that want to minimize management effort
- An office where you want to put plants around your personal desk
benjamin
Benjamin is a beautiful ornamental plant with small, dense leaves. The shape of the tree is easy to arrange, and you can create a beautiful space.
It has moderate shade resistance and is suitable for use in office environments. It also has a high air purifying effect, and is said to be particularly effective in removing formaldehyde and benzene.
Ideal for offices such as:
- An office where you want to create an elegant atmosphere
- Offices that want to use plants as partitions
- Offices that emphasize air purification effects
- Office that can be maintained regularly
Banyan
Banyan is an attractive ornamental plant with rounded leaves and distinctive aerial roots. It is shade tolerant and suitable for indoor cultivation. In addition, depending on the arrangement, it can be created to look like a bonsai, and it can also be used to create a modern Japanese space.
It is especially recommended for use in the following offices.
- Office with Japanese style/Japanese modern taste
- Offices seeking compact ornamental plants
- An office that wishes to be decorated with unique plants
- An office where you can enjoy long-term development
Sansevieria
Sansevieria is a very hardy ornamental plant with its distinctive upright leaves. It is considered one of the plants that has excellent shade and drought tolerance and is easy to manage.
It also has the property of absorbing carbon dioxide even at night, making it suitable for offices that operate 24 hours a day.
Especially recommended for the following offices.
- Offices that require minimal maintenance
- An office where you want to have plants even in a 24-hour environment
- Offices where you want to place plants even in areas that don't get much sunlight
- Offices seeking plants with a modern design
rubber tree
Rubber trees are ornamental plants with large, glossy leaves. It grows relatively quickly and can create a striking greenery. It is shade tolerant and suitable for indoor cultivation.
Also, because the surface area of the leaves is large, it can be expected to have a high air purifying effect.
It is especially suitable for use in offices such as:
- An office with space for large foliage plants
- Offices seeking symbolic plants
- Offices that emphasize air purification effects
- Office that can be maintained regularly
Kapok (Schefflera)
Kapok (Schefflera) is an ornamental plant with distinctive radiating leaves. It is shade tolerant and relatively easy to manage. Although it has a compact tree shape, it is possible to create greenery with a strong presence.
It also has a high air purifying effect, and is said to be particularly effective in removing formaldehyde.
Recommended for use in the following offices.
- An office that wants to create a modern atmosphere
- Offices seeking medium-sized ornamental plants
- Offices that want to reduce management effort
- Offices that want to use plants as partitions
Dracaena
Dracaena is a general term for ornamental plants with sword-shaped leaves, and there are various varieties. It is shade tolerant and relatively easy to manage. It has a distinctive upright appearance and has the effect of tightening up the space.
It also has a high air purifying effect, and is said to be particularly effective in removing xylene.
Especially suitable for offices such as:
- An office where you want to create a stylish atmosphere
- Offices that want to do vertical greening even with limited space
- Offices that emphasize air purification effects
- Offices where you can choose from a variety of types
For office carpets, Suminoe Interior Products
Houseplants can help improve office air quality and reduce stress. Let's incorporate foliage plants into the office while taking into account the amount of light and green visibility.
Just as houseplants can greatly improve the office environment, carpets also play an important role in improving office comfort. Suminoe Interior Products Co., Ltd. is a company that handles carpets used by business users.
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