There are so many advantages of having succulents and plants around your office. They make the place brighter, are beautiful to look at and also add good energy to your workspace. However, sometimes your desk might not be near a window, in which case not all succulents will thrive! In this article, I’ll be discussing my 12 best succulents for offices including low light succulents for office.
Can succulents grow in an office? Of course! Succulents are renowned for being low maintenance and can thrive pretty much anywhere. If your office is in a brightly lit area with lots of natural daylight, then with the right care your succulents will thrive in an office.
Most plants require a lot of care and attention, especially where watering is concerned. We know that working in an office can be busy and before you know it, it’s 5 pm and you’re out the door! That’s why succulents make the perfect office desk plant. Although you shouldn’t be completely neglectful, they can survive a missed watering or two and some succulent types will even grow in lower light.
Best succulents for offices
Desk succulents are a great way to spruce up your workplace, so let’s begin with 6 of the best succulents for offices. Be mindful that these will work fantastically in a BRIGHT room with LOTS of natural daylight – ideal if your desk is situated near a window. We will be discussing succulents for office with no window further down!
Crassula Ovata, Jade Plant
One of the very best succulents for offices is the Crassula Ovata – otherwise known as the jade plant, money tree, or lucky plant! Not only will the crassula bring you a wealth of luck for your office adventures, but it can also survive in pretty much any light condition.
Bright green in color and with thick curled leaves, a jade plant will sure add that wow factor to the ever boring office environment. A perfect desk succulent would be the hobbit jade. It can reach up to 3 feet in height at maturity and requires little nurturing.
As long as your jade plant is potted in a container with drainage holes, has well-draining soil, and is placed in a bright sunny spot, this succulent will thrive in your office.
If you already have a crassula and notice your jade plant dropping leaves, then it could be down to a number of reasons such as underwatering, overwatering, insufficient light, temperature change or pests!
Sempervivum ‘Hens and Chicks’
Sempervivum is commonly known as Hens and Chicks, because of the offsets the plant produces. Although they can survive in low light conditions they thrive best in a brightly lit workplace.
These hardy succulents are distinctive of their beautiful rosettes and are relatively small in size. Coming in a range of stunning colors such as green, red and yellow, this succulent type is sure to add a little life amongst the paperwork and desktop.
It is probably one of the best succulents for offices because of its hardiness. Sempervivum is renowned for being low maintenance and are resistant to drought – meaning a missed watering or two won’t harm this desk plant. In fact, they are so easy to take care of, they are also known as the lazy gardener’s plant!
Hens and Chicks are a monocarpic succulent, which means it flowers once and then dies. However, the sheer huge amount of offsets the plants produce means it is one of the easiest to propagate – meaning your office will be filled with fabulous succulents in no time!
Hoya Kerri ‘Sweetheart’
Okay, so I am almost certain your office is filled with bookshelves, filing cabinets and shelves that could do with a pop of color? Well, the best hanging succulent for your office has to be the beautiful sweetheart plant.
The name comes from its thick, green heart-shaped leaves. It is a trailing plant so is perfect to place on an empty shelf or on top of that filing cabinet that you are just sick of having to sort! The leaves grow up to about 2.5 inches in width and around a quarter of an inch thick.
Hoya Kerri is one of the best succulents for offices because it can thrive with next to no maintenance. As long as it is potted in well-draining soil, then it will have no problem flowering! Repotting is often needed and it can be left for long periods of time with no watering without any dire consequences.
Christmas Cactus
A festive favorite and a wonderful way to add some color to your offices. The Christmas cactus is one of my favorites and is not to be confused with a Thanksgiving cactus or Easter cactus.
One of the best succulents for offices due to its lighting requirements. Although this has been placed into the desk plant category which works best for light, the Christmas cactus is kind of in the middle. The reason being is that before blooming (September/October time), your plant needs to be in 12 hours of darkness a day for 3-4 weeks. This highly encourages bloom.
However, once this period is over, the Christmas cactus thrives best in a brightly lit, indirect area of the sun.
The Christmas cactus can live for a very long period of time if taken care of properly, so much so that it can even be passed on to different generations! This is a wonderful succulent that can accompany you on every business adventure you take and is a lovely addition to any office.
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe is another type of succulent plant which is best for offices. There are so many Kalanchoe types that would look fabulous placed next to each other on your desk. Paddle plant and Panda plant are two low maintenance types of Kalanchoe that would sit nicely on any desk.
This is a succulent type that would require a brightly lit room. It would work well if your desk is placed near a window. However, avoid placing in direct sunlight or on a south facing window sill as the leaves can actually get a sunburn! Who knew?!?!
Kalanchoe is also one of the best succulents for terrariums. These are like miniature jungles in a glass container and are also a fantastic addition to any office space. The magical little world will add a touch of greenery to your workplace and work well as hanging decor or desk plants.
Agave Desmettiana ‘Dwarf Century Plant’
The Agave desmettiana is also known as the dwarf century plant, variegated smooth agave, dwarf variegated agave or golden moments. This quick-growing succulent will look great in any office setting and is very easy to care for.
Due to its fast-growing nature, the dwarf century plant is best placed in an open area of your offices – such as the reception or breakout area. It has striking blue-green leaves with golden yellow edges. It is the perfect office plant for creative spaces.
Agave desmettiana will require bright lighting to thrive properly and can grow up to 2-3 feet. This is one of my favorites to have in the reception area as it will spruce up the welcoming space and is beautiful for clients to admire.
Low light succulents for offices
A common question I often get asked is what are the best succulents for offices with no windows? Or in other words, they are the best low light succulents for offices! Most succulent types require brightly lit sunny spots. However, the below 6 succulents will stay healthy and happy even in low lighting.
Dracaena Trifasciata ‘Snake Plant’
Probably my favorite succulent type is the dracaena trifasciata – or more commonly known as the snake plant due to its long, snake-like leaves. Bright green in color, with yellow edges, snake plants are one of the very best low light succulents for offices. These plants are also known as mother-in-law’s tongue.
They are easy to care for, with infrequent watering needed. They come in many different sizes, so whether you’re after a cute little desk plant or a big statement plant to have in the office, a snake plant is ideal.
This drought-resistant, low light succulents were pretty much designed to survive the fast-paced office lifestyle where you only have 10 minutes to eat lunch – let alone water all your plants.
Haworthia Fasciata ‘Zebra Plant’
Another fantastic low light office plant is Haworthia fasciata. This succulent is also known as a zebra plant due to its striking striped leaves.
This is a mini succulent so is an ideal desk plant for those who are not situated near a window. A zebra plant will grow to around 4 inches tall and have a similar appearance to Aloe plants. The main distinction of a zebra plant is its horizontal white stripes.
Although this succulent prefers bright light, it will also do just fine in low light conditions.
Mistletoe Cactus
Most succulents and cacti are desert plants. However, the Mistletoe cactus is a tropical succulent native to rainforests. This is a popular indoor houseplant around the world and is very easy to care for.
Mistletoe cactus actually don’t mind dim lighting so are perfect for an office. They rarely need fertilizing, require infrequent watering in the winter months, and are easy to propagate.
This particular succulent will benefit from a saucer filled with rocks and water to mimic the same humidity as the tropical rainforest and is hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 9-10.
Aloe Aristata ‘Lace Aloe’
Another wonderful rosette-shaped succulent that is strikingly similar to the zebra plant. Lace aloe is one of the best succulents for offices because it is a hardy plant that can survive long periods of time without bright lighting.
Lace aloe also thrives in normal room temperatures so you won’t need to worry about the dry air in your office. This is a winter dormant succulent, which means you should water sparingly. In the summer months, it will survive infrequent watering.
The lace aloe is a perfect desk plant as it can handle a little neglect if you suddenly become a busy bee at work.
Gasteria ‘Little Warty’
This low-light loving succulent is ideal for an office environment. The distinctive thick tongue-shaped leaves consist of varying shades of green with bronze tips. Being categorized as a mini succulent, little warty will only grow up to 5 inches in height.
They are very easy to maintain, which is why they are a great low light succulent for offices. It requires standard succulent care; a well-draining soil, infrequent watering.
Gasteria isn’t particularly frost-hardy, so you may want to keep an eye on the temperature if you live in a particularly cold area. However, if used as an indoor office succulent, we’re sure it will be just fine.
Echeveria
One of the most common and beautiful succulents for offices is Echeveria. These wonderful rosette-shaped plants come in many different colors from bold greens, to stunning pastel purples and pinks.
Echeveria can survive long periods of time without watering and although it prefers bright light, can survive in low lighting conditions.
You can make a fantastic succulent garden right in your office and with a selection of Echeveria plants, we guarantee your office space will look brighter than ever.
Best succulents for offices – the last word
I hope you have enjoyed this article on the 12 best succulents for offices. You can now head out and start making your office a brighter, happier place. It is important to create a positive workspace that makes you happy, after all, you are there a quarter of your life!
Desk succulents are a perfect way to decorate your office, they are low maintenance and will survive the business of a thriving business. To recap, the 12 best succulents for offices are:
Crassula Ovata ‘ Jade Plant’
Sempervivum
Hoya Kerri ‘Sweetheart’
Christmas Cactus
Kalanchoe
Agave Desmettiana ‘Dwarf Century Plant’
Dracaena Trifasciata ‘Snake Plant’
Haworthia Fasciata ‘Zebra Plant’
Mistletoe Cactus
Aloe Aristata ‘Lace Aloe’
Gasteria ‘Little Warty’
Echeveria
If you have another succulent type in your office, comment below! Or if you have tried one of these, let me know how you’re getting on.
If you enjoyed this article, I have more on succulent care that is similar to this post.
