Plants and Productivity

By: Hannah McWhorter
August 1, 2022
Plants and Productivity
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The science on green spaces is out and unequivocal. According to a study by the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, people who spend as little as 2 hours a week in green spaces promote social interconnectedness, lowers morbidity rates, decrease chances for a host of disease and stress-induced conditions, and even promotes emotional stability and acceptance. Businesses have begun to tap into these benefits easily and with huge dividends in employee contentment, investment, and productivity. Corporate plant gifts cultivate a healthy, productive environment in the workplace. This is especially true during a time when managers often have less control over working environments as more and more people work virtually. Company plants bring all of these benefits in-office, and plant gifts for clients and employees can extend all of the power of green spaces to wherever anyone’s virtual office is located.

 

 


Plants and Productivity


The research on plants goes in opposition to the popular “lean” style of office building and management that spread in the ’90s with the development of desktop computers. This lean style of clean-topped, empty desks says spartan spaces with the fewest distractions are best for productivity because anything taking a person away from their screen even for a moment is a moment of work lost. As more and more studies come out on the benefits of green buildings and green spaces, it has been shown again and again that less is not more in every case. Sometimes less is, well, just less.


One study done in the U.K. in 2014 found that the mere act of introducing greenery to the office increased productivity by 15%. What’s more, is that employees with plants of their own experience greater sensations of reward from their work and engage at greater levels because they feel more invested. Another study confirmed this, reporting a 12% increase in productivity when people performed simple tasks on a computer that was in a room with greenery. A plant gift for business is a simple, effective gift with a quantifiable, business positive effect. And fills the need for a unique corporate gift that helps pave the way to the type of office everyone wants to be in, healthy, and profitable.


So company plants increase productivity with minimal resource investment, what’s the downside?


None. No downside. But there is more upside! 

 


Plants and Stress Reduction


There are many studies that show that plants can help workers reduce stress! A Japanese study in 2019 saw that even just a small plant on a worker’s desk helped reduce stress by not only giving the workers something else to focus on outside of their screen but by giving the employees something to care for. The study found that regardless of the type of plant, the stress and anxiety levels of the participants decreased dramatically when greenery was set on their desks, and there were many positive comments about how the plants had a positive impact on the employees. Another study in the United States in 2008 found that live plants and window views of green spaces helped boost employees' job satisfaction. These kinds of studies are actually common, seeing plants providing stress relief in hospital rooms, providing workers with a better sense of well-being and better health, and reducing physiological and psychological stress.


Plants aid in decompression and lowers overall psychological stress in a number of subtle ways. They are almost instant mood boosters. Just the sight of plants causes greater feelings of well-being, bolsters a person’s sense that the air they are breathing is clean, and can provide lifts to self-esteem. Gardening has been shown to correlate with the decrease of cortisol in people, our body’s main stress hormone. A happier, healthier, more stress-free workforce means fewer sick days and exhaustion, and more attentiveness, social connectedness, and productivity.


Plants boost the mood of the office, reduce stress and sick days, and increase productivity efficiently. No other corporate gift is as healthy for your employees and your bottom line. When considering corporate thank you gifts or employee gifts as they return to the office, consider working with our corporate gifting team at Lively Root! We create personalized plant kits that include care cards, personal messages, and customizable branding. From picking your plant options to opening our carefully designed packaging, we are passionate about creating the perfectly unique corporate gift for your team. Here are just a few ideas for helping increase productivity in your office through green gifting:

 


Succulents - Looking for something easy to care for that can thrive in an office environment, even for those without green thumbs? Succulents are extremely hardy, and often only start struggling if OVER-watered! These small plants fit any workspace, and by picking one of Lively Root’s assorted corporate succulent packs employees have a variety of choices depending on their preferences. Looking for a succulent that will stick out? Consider the Blooming Kalanchoe, a succulent that blooms beautiful, long-lasting flowers with all of the benefits of hardy succulents!

 

 


Money Tree (Pachira aquatica) - Another easy to care for plant, the Money Tree is symbolic of luck and good fortune, a perfect gift for a business partner or client. These trees are extremely hardy, and are even safe around pets! Just like succulents, the easiest way to go wrong with these plants is by over-watering them, so just make sure the soil dries out between waterings and this plant will bring financial fortune to the office!

 


Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) - These plants are beautiful with an architectural, professional look due to their vertical leaves. They are best known for their hardiness, and also for their air purification abilities, being a top-performer in NASA’s Clean Air Study! There are multiple types of this plant to consider, such as the Zeylanica Snake Plant, the smaller Zeylanica Superba Snake Plant, and the Variegated Laurentii Snake Plant

 

 

Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureus) - The Golden Pothos is one of the world’s best-selling plants, in part because of how easy it is to care for. This variety of plants is popular in office settings, as it can live in areas with very low light and can even go quite a while without any water at all! Its vines and leaves love to trellis, meaning they are great for cubicle desks or bookshelves, and the green leaves add some natural beauty to any area. Along with the normal variant of this plant, you can also consider other variants like the Marble Queen Pothos, which has gorgeous variegated leaves. This unique look can add some variety to the greenery in a space!

 

 


Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii) - Looking for something a little more tropical to liven up employees’ desks and clients’ homes? The Pygmy Date Palm is a great option, and can grow quite large if taken care of properly! It has a pineapple-like trunk with tropical, green leaves to bring summer vacation vibes into any office. Looking for something a little smaller that needs less light? The Areca Butterfly Palm (Dypsis lutescens)  is a great option for those looking to start smaller! The Neanthe Bella Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) is another great option for those smaller desk spaces, but still brings those light, tropical palm aesthetics to any desk space!