Traveling the world through tropical office plants — part 1
Have you ever wondered where the plants in your office are from? Then come on a virtual tour of the tropics to discover the native climates of five common indoor plants.
From South Pacific islands to the rainforests in western Africa, plants from all over the world can grow and flourish inside. Let us take you on a journey through tropical office plants, and add a little sunshine to your life.
Fiddle-leaf fig
In the humid lowland rainforest of western Africa, you’ll find the Ficus Lyrata, or fiddle-leaf fig. The beautiful broad-leafed tree bears fruit in the wild and can grow up to 15 meters tall — the same height as the Hollywood sign.
Don’t worry if you haven’t got space for a full-grown jungle: it reaches a maximum of 3 meters indoors, and can be pruned to stay at a shorter height. When brought inside, the fiddle-leaf fig loves humidity, dappled sun, and moist soil, just like its rainforest home.
If you’re looking for plants to help you breathe a little easier, the fiddle-leaf fig is a great option. The massive surface area of each leaf makes the ficus lyrata an effective air purifier. This impressive tropical plant is the perfect statement piece to highlight a particular area of your office.
Swiss cheese plant
Possibly the most recognizable plant from the tropics is the Monstera. Commonly known as a Swiss cheese plant, you’ll have seen its hole-punctured leaves on wallpaper, greeting cards, bed linen, Instagram influencers’ interior design posts… you get the idea.
Native to the rainforests of Central America from southern Mexico to Panama, Swiss cheese plants require warm and humid growing conditions. These are vine plants: in the wild they use aerial roots — roots that grow above ground — to grow up the sides of trees, so they like having something to climb up when grown indoors.
Its undemanding care routine means Monstera is one of the favorite plant species from the tropics to cultivate inside. Its unusual leaves — ribboned to make it easier to capture dappled sunlight filtering down through the rainforest canopy — add an interesting design feature to any space.
ZZ plant
Next we’ll head over to eastern Africa to meet the Zamioculcas zamiifolia (ZZ plants or Zanzibar gems as they’re commonly named). These plants are found in grassland regions and arid forest from Kenya to South Africa. This unusual-looking guy is the only species in the Zamioculcas genus.
Its natural habitat is dry for most of the year, followed by a period of heavy downpours during the rainy season. As it’s tolerant to low light levels, irregular watering, and negligence, the ZZ plant is one of the best tropical plants for the office.
With shiny dark-green leaves, this tropical species is a beautiful addition to the workplace. If you want office plants to improve air quality, the ZZ is also a winning purifier. Elegant, hard to kill, and good for your health — what’s not to love?
Devil’s ivy
On the islands of French Polynesia in the South Pacific you’ll find the Epipremnum aureum, known as pothos or devil’s ivy. Its stunning yellow and green variegated leaves make this species one of the favored office plants from the rainforest.
In its natural habitat devil’s ivy uses aerial roots to attach themselves to trees. Pothos is a natural climber, but looks incredible as a trailing vine. This plant is a great option if you want hanging greenery for your workplace.
Of the many types of tropical plants that can be grown indoors, devil’s ivy is one of the hardest to kill. It could also have unforeseen benefits for your business — in some countries devil’s ivy is known as the “money plant” as people believe growing it will bring financial good fortune.
Giant white bird of paradise
End your trip in the evergreen coastal forest of South Africa, the natural habitat of the Strelitzia nicolai, known as a giant white bird of paradise. These plants require moist soil, bright light, and warm temperatures to thrive.
Its foliage is similar to that of a banana plant (earning it the imaginative common name of banana palm) with large oval-shaped leaves. A flowering plant in the wild, these leafy palms won’t bloom when cultivated inside.
Bring a couple of these tropical plants indoors and its impressive foliage will add a dramatic feature to your workplace. But be sure to give the bird of paradise enough space — its leaves will shred and brown if brushed past regularly. If you can’t escape to the sun, then bring the tropics to you with these tropical office plants.
Plantclub.io provides you and your colleagues with the benefits of plants, wherever you work. Rent office plants and transform your space into a green oasis, with flexible monthly membership options to suit your size. Diversify your employee perks with a dedicated company store, where you can give green gifts and your team can buy plants for their home office. Book a time to chat with us today.
Written by Lily Pollock.
