Small plants for office desk: 7 Best small plants for the office desk

Bring on the good green vibes with the best small plants for office desks guaranteed to add beauty and improve the indoor air quality of the space. Incorporating a little pot of greenery in the office space brings a moment of mindfulness and calm to break up a hectic day, making it a perfect add-on for stuffy offices.

Desk plants, in particular, or small and subtle, which help brighten up any personal space in a corporate setting without intruding on others. From cacti to succulents to lucky plants in feng shui, there are plenty of beginner-friendly, easy to care for plant babies that can bring a relaxing aura to any desk space in every type of office.

Disclaimer: This list is curated by the writer. We might have missed a few of your favorite desk plants. Let us know your opinion in the comments below.

7 low-maintenance, small plants for office desks

Every office desk could use a shiny green plant or two, so we’ve curated the 7 best small plants for desks that will make great office buddies with a few notes on how to take care of them.

Jade plant
Snake plant
Money tree
Baltic blue pothos
Aloe plant
Prickly pear cactus
Aeonium kiwi succulent

1) Jade plant

Jade plant, also known as the “lucky” succulent, is among the best small plants for office desks that have a sunny spot. Its glossy oval-shaped leaves and strong, woody stems will add texture and visual interest to the top of an office desk.

It’s easy to grow and with a little trimming here and there. This desk-friendly succulent only requires water when the soil is completely dry and can live up to 50 years.

2) Snake plant

Snake plant (or Mother-in-Law’s tongue or viper’s bowstring hemp) is an incredibly fuss-free plant to have indoors. This spear-like green plant can also help purify the air inside by absorbing a variety of toxins. It requires minimal watering, almost no humidity, and low light.

For the office desk, opt for the Sansevieria Green Hahnii variety as it’s slightly more compact, grows only about 5-6 inches, and has stunning spiraling dark glossy leaves.

3) Money tree

The money tree, which is one of the best indoor plants to have for feng shui, is believed to bring good luck, prosperity, and positive energy to its plant parents. It brings a tropical feel indoors with its braided stem and vibrant green palm-looking leaves.

A bright office desk space makes an apt spot for this indoor plant. Morover, it is fuss-free to maintain with watering only needed every one to two weeks.

4) Baltic blue pothos

Out of many pothos plant varieties, Baltic blue features rich green leaves that eventually morph into a bluish hue as it matures, hence the name Baltic blue. With dramatic monstera-like cuts on the sides, this training houseplant is an amazing addition to an office desk that could use a little pop of calming greenery and style.

This small plant acts as a natural air purifier that thrives in low to bright indirect lighting conditions and prefers underwatering to overwatering.

5) Aloe plant

For corner offices that get plenty of sunlight, a potted aloe plant will bring an exotic vibe that adds great visual interest with its lush green leaves and spiky structure. It also reduces toxins and produces oxygen at night.

While it loves direct sunlight, aloe requires very little watering and it’s incredibly slow-growing. So, it won’t outgrow the desk space anytime soon.

6) Prickly pear cactus

The prickly pear cactus, with its unique shape like a beaver’s tail, is one of the easiest succulents to care for indoors. Although it thrives in brightly lit spaces, it is a low-maintenance indoor plant with infrequent watering needed.

While it could be a nice addition to any office desk, it’s more fitting for larger desk sizes to avoid accidentally bumping into its sharp spikes.

7) Aeonium kiwi succulent

Aeonium kiwi, a drought-tolerant plant that can grow indoors and outdoors, is one of the best small plants for office desks. Besides bringing a touch of green into the monotonic corporate setting, it also delivers a nice pop of color into the space with its yellow-green leaves edged with vibrant red.

Place it somewhere it gets a healthy dose of indirect sunlight and this succulent will grow beautifully with little watering needed.

All these small plants are visually appealing, easy to grow and care for, and suitable for office desks. For corporate places that could need a little lovely interior decor or a touch of calming green color, give these succulents and plants a try. These small plants don’t only make the space pretty but help breathe a little more oxygen into the space too.

Edited by DEEPALI