Whether it’s back-to-the-office, congratulating them on their recent promotion, or sprucing up their work-from-home space, plants make awesome employee gifts for any company. Plants have been known to elevate the mood in the office and with at-home set-ups. They can transform an ordinary office environment into something living and breathing. Plants can increase the humidity in the ever-fridge office temperature (because let’s be honest, do they ever turn on the heat?), remove toxins, and add a touch of style to the ever-so-boring gray cubicles. Who knew plants could have even more benefits in store, extending beyond beautiful aesthetics?
Aside from offering a splash of color to the office, plants are a valuable employee gift that provides incredible health benefits when placed in a work environment. They lessen the feelings of stress from upcoming deadlines, lower levels of anxiety, elevate the mood, and boost employee wellness. Research shows that people with plants on their desks show increased productivity and creativity levels. Plants provide a meditative and peaceful environment to help employees lead a healthier, happier, and more productive workflow. Did we also mention that using plants around the office will convey a positive brand image for the company in front of current and prospective clients? The benefits of plants are endlessly growing, leading many offices to turn green.
Having a desk close to a window with natural light and a green outlook isn’t available to everyone. This is where plants can assist in bringing the outdoors in and help get the office to life (the employee with the window isn’t the only one who can have plants at their desk)!
Bring your employee’s office to life with a long-lasting plant as an employee gift. Add some cheer to the office with some leafy friends that can even be made into little desk buddies. Although plants can’t solve all office problems, they will brighten your team’s workday.
Your employees probably won’t have much time to fuss over the care of their plants, which is why we will include detailed care instructions for each plant. With care instructions, these employee gifts will not only survive in your office, but they’ll also thrive. When looking for an office plant, we decided to stick with a collection of low-maintenance plants that could withstand iridescent lightning, constantly changing hot and cold air temperatures from the AC unit, and some benign neglect.
At Lively Root, there are endless employee gift ideas to make your employees feel special and cared for. Check out these ten office-friendly plants to show your employees appreciation for their hard work organically.
Robusta Snake Plant
The many shades of the Robusta snake plant bring any office cubicle to life. Because of the upward-growing sword-like leaves of this plant, there’s no need to worry about this plant taking up too much space on the desk! The snake plant survives in almost any environment, including inconsistent office air and impossible-to-control lightning. It can even go without water for days at a time. This withstanding plant won’t even be bothered when your coworkers bang into them on their way past your desk. It doesn’t take much to make this guy this little guy happy, making it the easiest plant to take care of for any employee gift.
Aloe Vera
This desert beauty loves to sunbathe! It can make a perfect addition to the sunny window sill but still grow under the office’s artificial lights. These little ones can survive when your office is out for vacation during the holidays or always traveling on business trips. You can totally forget about this plant over the break and still come back to it thriving in the sun, but be sure to water it once you guys get back! Not only is this plant the most durable thing ever, but it is known worldwide for its incredible ability to produce a soothing gel. Crack one opens the next time you get burned from the coffee machine or microwave leftovers. Talk about a two-in-one employee gift that serves multiple purposes.
English Ivy Glacier
Bring your greenery into new dimensions with English Ivy. The evergreen plant is easy to grow and can soon drape your office in greenery as the vines grow to astounding lengths. This natural climber will love to grow in all directions. Wrap the durable vines around the office space to create an appealing living piece of art. This ivy is tolerant to dimmed lights and will live happily for up to thirty years (or up until retirement.) The English Ivy is a tough worker that can tolerate and adapt to any office environment. This easy-to-care-for plant will take a lot of work to pass up as a great employee gift idea.
Tillandsia Curly Slim Air Plant
Air plants like the Tillandsia are hands down the easiest office plant to have around. They will thrive in any low-light, indoor office space. All air plants truly need is air. They get their moisture needs and nutrients from the surrounding air. But don’t be mistaken by the name; air plants need water from time to time. Misting the plant weekly may help it grow a little flowering buddy. You won’t have to worry about putting them as no soil is required. That’s right, no soil equals no mess to clean up! This plant will be the easiest employee appreciation gift to take care of (your employees will thank you for it). Air plants have endless ways to be displayed. Whether on top of your desktop or hanging them, they add a touch of modernness and uniqueness!
White Stripe Dragon Tree
The White Stripe Dragon Tree is an actual work of art. For busy, creative employees, this plant can make a great addition to add to their creative space. With beautiful dark green foliage and striking white highlighted stripes, this dramatic plant will amaze every employee. It looks like it was hand-painted, so it’s no surprise that this plant will help spark feelings of creativity and inspiration. Creative blocks are no joke in the workplace and can slow project progress. Studies have shown that adding plants to the workplace can promote innovation, concentration levels, and creativity. There’s no doubt that this plant will make a great employee gift to bring a fresh perspective to the workplace.
Peace Lily
Keeping peace in the office isn’t always easy, and a peace lily might help with the always growing list of deadlines and heavy workloads that seem to keep piling up. With a plant like the peace lily, work environments don’t always have to be stressful. As the name suggests, Peace Lillies can help encourage a calming atmosphere and peace. The white flower-like spathe rises timidly like a flag representing a symbol of hope. They are an ideal plant to make one’s work life a little stressful to help find the work-life balance. Peace Lillies are an excellent choice for an employee gift because they can not only brighten up their office space but also clean the stuffy air that can affect productivity.
Golden Pothos
This vivid green plant can wake up any dull desk cubicle. Pothos are one of the most tolerable plants to ever exist. They can survive any office, whether there’s low light, everchanging office temperatures, or an employee who may forget to water their plant. This plant is one of the best communicators in the office, and it will surely tell you when they’re thirsty when its leaves start to droop. A pothos is a perfect employee gift for those looking to hang more decor in their space and may not have any room left on their small overflowing desk.
Ponytail Palm
This palm can help bring the tropical vibe right to the office in the dead of winter. The unique ponytail palm will surely bring a smile to your face with its sassy, curly green leaves that will tumble down onto the desk without making a mess. Just like how tropical environments are sunny, this palm will enjoy direct sunlight from the office window. Ponytail palms prefer warmer temperatures, so be sure not to place this plant directly under the harsh office air conditioning vents. Getting a palm is the closest employee gift to the tropical vacation you can give your employees while on a corporate budget.
Rosemary Trees
We all know that sometimes work can be mentally draining and stressful, but having a Rosemary plant around can help! This beautiful herb holds many health benefits within the practice of aromatherapy. Its delicate leaves contain a wonderful scent that is loved by many. Rosemary’s intensely fragrant oils can help improve memory and focus while also boosting productivity. It can stimulate hard-working minds, all while maximizing concentration on a work task or project that needs our complete attention. This employee gift is a great way to bolster productivity! Simply smelling and inhaling the aroma of rosemary can bring ease of mind to any employee facing a stressful day. To top it all off, employees won’t have much stress taking care of this plant because of the little attention this plant needs. Just a little water and sunshine will bring ever-growing happiness.
Echeveria Rose Succulent
When all else fails, succulents are foolproof employee gift plants that will last in dimly lit offices. There is one of the many reasons why office interior designers use succulents as an art form. They’re cute and compact and come in all different colors, shapes, and sizes. Just like this echeveria rose succulent, it won’t take up too much space on the desk and require that much attention. Have a jammed packed work schedule? Well, don’t worry; thanks to its adaptable nature, this succulent will be okay even if they receive a little neglect from its busy plant parent. Their low maintenance needs will have every office worker wishing they had one of these little guys on their desk. Succulents' low-care nature also makes them great corporate gifts for clients!