If you are fortunate to have a very large home office space in your house, you might be struggling with ways to fill the vacuous space. A perfect way to do this, and bring the room to ‘life’ while you work in there, is to bring in some houseplants. Rather than buy dozens of medium-sized plants to spread all throughout the room, it might be beneficial to invest in something large to make the most of the space you have available!
Dracaena marginata (Dragon Tree)
The name of the Dragon Tree is given because of the red sap that is produced in its trunk. This sap used to be used by alchemists and for magical arts in medieval times. Today, the sap is more regularly used as a varnish for fine wood.
Leaves on the Dracaena marginata start by standing straight up, similar to trees found in tropical areas of the world. This has a way of transporting you from your home office to somewhere far more tropical. With age, these leaves will droop down slightly creating softer edges.
This houseplant is perfect for a larger home office thanks to its height not only from the trunk of the tree but also the leaves reaching up and outward, taking up a lot of space where you need it to.
- Enjoys West-Facing, South-Facing, or East-Facing aspects
- Evergreen
- Loves full sun
- Keep the soil moist in spring and summer, but allow to dry out in the winter
- There are different colour varieties of this houseplant, so you could have green, yellow and pink within the leaves!
- This houseplant gets its name from the blood-red sap that comes out of its stems
- Grows between 2.5-4m tall, and an ultimate width of 2.5m, but you can maintain this to whatever size suits your home office
Ficus benjamina (Weeping Fig)
Ficus benjamina is a brilliant and statuesque addition for any home office, but particularly a large one in which you have a lot of empty space that needs filling.
Its religious history includes in particular Buddhism, in which it is said that Buddha gained enlightenment under a fig tree. This rich spiritual history makes it a wonderful addition to your home office, especially if you are looking for your own enlightenment.
- Prefers South-Facing or West-Facing aspects
- Evergreen
- Full sun
- Be mindful not to overwater this houseplant, but ensure to keep the soil moist
- This plant breathes in formaldehyde, which helps with dizziness and confusion, which will help you concentrate while working!
- A very ancient and historical species, many religions have considered this tree to bring enlightenment
- Reaches up to 3m tall and 2m wide, but can be moderately pruned to suit your home office
Dracaena fragrans (Corn Plant)
Dracaena fragrans are able to grow flowers in their natural habitat, but this is unlikely to happen when growing it as a houseplant. If you are lucky enough to get flowers out of your corn plant, they are beautifully fragranced and a soft-pink colour.
They have been popular in Europe as houseplants for over 100 years, so will undoubtedly add something special to fill the large spaces in your home office.
- Prefers South-Facing, West-Facing or East-Facing aspects
- Evergreen
- Full sun
- Try to allow the soil to dry out before watering in spring
- The corn plant will remove a toxin called xylene from the air, which comes from home-decorating products
- The leaves on this plant are quite long, and their glossy shine helps this plant to really stand out
- Reaches up to 4m tall and 1.5m wide, but can be pruned to suit your home office
Getting the perfect houseplant for your home office will help you concentrate better and bring some life into the space.
If you want to learn more about taking care of your houseplants, see the link below to my book ‘My houseplant changed my life’. Many of the home office houseplants mentioned on this page are inside!
To learn more about home office houseplants, see my other blogs below.
Find out about one of the most popular houseplants – Monstera:
Or check out my Pinterest board for more ideas:
David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
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