Best
Plants for Offices in Singapore: 12 Easy Picks
The best office plants for Singapore are the ones that cope with air-conditioning, weak light and the odd missed watering: ZZ plant, snake plant, Aglaonema, pothos and Dracaena for floors and corners, and Fittonia, Peperomia and Pilea for desks. Match each plant to the light it will actually get, water it less than you think you should, and keep it out of the direct blast of the air-con vent. The rest of this guide tells you which plant goes where and how to look after it.
TL;DR
- For dim or windowless corners, start with ZZ plant, snake plant and Aglaonema. All three are on the Royal Horticultural Society’s list for low-light offices.
- For desks, choose compact plants: Fittonia, Peperomia, Philodendron or a small Pilea.
- Overwatering kills more office plants than neglect. Water when the top few centimetres of soil are dry, and less often under weak light.
- Keep plants away from air-con vents, and check pet and skin safety before you buy (Dieffenbachia sap is an irritant).
- Plants make a workspace look and feel better, but ventilation, not foliage, is what cleans office air.
Table of Contents
- What makes a good office plant in Singapore
- The best office plants for low light and little care
- The best desk plants
- Quick comparison
- Plants that suit air-conditioned Singapore offices
- How to water and care for office plants
- Safety: pets, skin and sap
- Do office plants clean the air?
- Our perspective
- Buying and repotting for the office
- FAQ
- Sources
What makes a good office plant in Singapore
An office is a harder home than a living room. Light comes from ceiling fixtures or one window, the air-con runs all day, nobody is there at weekends, and watering is nobody’s clear job. A good office plant tolerates all of that.
Three questions narrow your choice quickly:
- How much light does the spot get? A window with some sky is bright. A desk in the middle of the floor lit by ceiling panels is low light.
- Who will look after it? If the answer is “whoever remembers”, pick the forgiving species.
- How much space is there? A desk takes something under 30 cm tall. A corner or reception can take a statement plant.
The good news is that standard overhead lighting is not a dealbreaker. AP News reports that pothos, ZZ plant, Chinese evergreen, snake plant, cast iron plant and air plants can thrive under the fluorescent fixtures common in commercial offices, and that cast iron plant actually prefers artificial light to sunlight.
The best office plants for low light and little care
The RHS recommends Aglaonema, snake plant and ZZ plant for low-light offices. These are the three to start with if you only buy a few.
ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
The ZZ plant stores water in starchy rhizomes under the soil, which is why it forgives a long weekend or a long holiday. The University of Connecticut’s home garden service says to water it sparingly and let the soil dry slightly between waterings. If you are unsure whether to water, wait.
Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata)
Upright, architectural and slow. Kew notes that the snake plant is accustomed to dry tropical climates and usually stays under 1 metre as a houseplant, so it suits a tall corner without taking over. It was formerly called Sansevieria, and you will still see both names on labels. BBC Gardeners’ World puts it in the “unkillable” category of low-maintenance plants that can cope with some neglect. If you want one, see our Sansevieria Zeylanica (snake plant).
Aglaonema (Chinese evergreen)
Aglaonema is the office classic, with leaves patterned in green, silver or pink. GreenIQ says it tolerates dim corridors, air-conditioned spaces and dry indoor air, is comfortable between 15 and 32°C, and should be watered once the top 2 to 3 cm of soil has dried. The same source advises against placing it directly in the path of an air-con vent. Our Aglaonema care guide for Singapore covers light, water and common fixes.
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
A trailing plant that looks good on a shelf or the top of a filing cabinet. The Spruce lists pothos among the plants for offices that must rely on artificial light. Trim it when it gets long and it will keep branching.
Dracaena
Upright canes with arching leaves give height without much fuss. Dracaena sits well beside a desk cluster or at a reception. Read our Dracaena care guide for watering and leaf-tip browning.
Cast iron plant and areca palm
The RHS names Monstera, cast iron plant and areca palm as statement plants. They need floor space, so they are best for meeting rooms, entrances and open-plan corners.
The best desk plants
A desk plant has to be small, tidy and happy at arm’s length from a monitor. The RHS suggests Philodendron, Peperomia and small succulents for desks. Three more things make a desk plant work in Singapore.
Fittonia (nerve plant)
Gardens by the Bay describes the nerve plant as perfect for the office desk. It comes from the understorey of South American rainforests, so it is adapted to poorly lit, humid conditions. It likes low to bright indirect light and evenly moist, not waterlogged, soil, and the same page notes no known toxicity to pets or people. That makes it a good choice for shared offices.
Peperomia
Compact, glossy and easy. Peperomia likes to dry out between drinks, so it suits people who check their plants once or twice a week.
Pilea peperomioides (Chinese money plant)
Round coin-shaped leaves and a tidy habit. Our Pilea peperomioides kokedama comes as a moss ball rather than in a pot, which suits a small desk. Turn it every few weeks so it grows evenly.
Air plants (Tillandsia)
No soil, no pot, very little footprint. NParks recommends Tillandsia bulbosa for offices because it prefers low light and indirect sunshine. It advises misting two to three times a week rather than soaking, since the compact leaf sheaths trap water easily.
Quick comparison
| Plant | Best spot | Light | Watering rhythm |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZZ plant | Corner, floor | Low to medium | When soil is dry |
| Snake plant | Corner, desk | Low to medium | Every 2 to 3 weeks (Almanac) |
| Aglaonema | Floor, side table | Low to medium | When top 2 to 3 cm is dry |
| Pothos | Shelf, cabinet | Low to bright indirect | About weekly (Almanac) |
| Fittonia | Desk | Low to bright indirect | Keep evenly moist |
| Peperomia | Desk, cabinet | Low to medium | When topsoil is dry |
| Air plant | Desk | Low, indirect | Mist 2 to 3 times a week |
The snake plant and pothos intervals come from the Almanac’s office plant guide. Treat all intervals as starting points and adjust to your light and the air-con.
Plants that suit air-conditioned Singapore offices
Air-con dries the air and chills the leaves. Plants that come from humid understoreys can cope, but they like a little help.
- Fiddle-leaf Philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum). NParks says it needs low light and suits shady indoor spots, with occasional misting in air-conditioned rooms.
- Spider plant and Fittonia. In a CapitaLand Q&A, a horticulturist recommended both for an air-conditioned office with little sun. A second expert there also named Nephrolepis ferns, Raphis palm and air plants.
- Ferns. Ferns like humidity, so give them a spot away from the vent. See our guides to Bird’s Nest Fern and Boston Fern care.
- Calathea. Beautiful but fussier, best where someone checks it regularly. Our Calathea care guide explains how to manage humidity.
Dry, cooled air is not only a plant matter. Framed art and fabric on office walls also need a little care, and this guide to caring for art prints and textiles is worth a look if your workplace has both.
How to water and care for office plants
Most office plants die from too much water, not too little. Rebecca Bullene, a New York horticulturist, told TED Ideas that the less light a plant gets, the less water it should receive. In low light she suggests watering about every 10 days. Singapore is more humid than New York, so check the soil with a finger before you pour.
A simple routine:
- Check, then water. Push a finger 2 to 3 cm into the soil. If it is dry, water until a little drains out, then empty the saucer.
- Dust the leaves. The RHS says that in an office, dust should be removed every other week because it slows photosynthesis. A damp cloth is enough.
- Turn the pot. A monthly quarter turn keeps growth even towards the light, says the same RHS page.
- Move plants away from vents. Cold, dry draughts brown the leaf edges.
- Give humidity lovers help. Bullene suggests placing them near a humidifier or soaking them for 20 minutes in a bowl of water.
For a team that does not want the job, our office plant maintenance guide explains what regular care involves.
Safety: pets, skin and sap
Some good-looking plants are irritants. NParks says the sap of the Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia) should be avoided and washed off if it touches skin. Wear gloves when pruning it, and keep it out of reach in offices where pets or children visit. Our Dieffenbachia care guide covers safe pruning. If someone has a reaction, seek medical advice.
If you need a plant for a pet-friendly or shared space, Fittonia is a safe starting point, since Gardens by the Bay notes no known toxicity to pets or humans.
Do office plants clean the air?
This is the most common question, and the honest answer is that plants do not clean office air in any measurable way. Drexel University researchers Bryan Cummings and Michael Waring reviewed a dozen studies over 30 years and concluded that ventilation dilutes indoor pollutants much faster than potted plants can remove them. So choose plants for what they do well: they soften a hard room, add colour and give people something to look after. A well-ventilated office is your best air filter.
Our perspective
We see the same pattern in Singapore offices. A team buys one large, fussy plant for the lobby, nobody owns the watering, and in three months it looks tired. The fix is rarely a different plant. It is a better match between plant, light and person.
Start with the forgiving group: ZZ, snake plant, Aglaonema, Dracaena. Add a few desk plants where people will notice them daily. Then add one statement plant once you know the routine works.
Our collection runs from common houseplants to rare and tropical foliage, and we also take on custom sourcing for hard-to-find plants. For offices we offer plant rental and landscape maintenance, so the plants stay in good shape without becoming someone’s extra job. If you are not sure which plant suits a spot, tell us the light, the air-con and who will look after it, and we will suggest what to choose.
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Buying and repotting for the office
Browse our Plants and Rare & Tropical Foliage collections for office-ready options, with care notes written for Singapore homes and workplaces. We also offer a re-potting service for plants from $20.20 (pot and planting media not included) and a re-potting service for orchids at $10.10 (pot not included). Deliveries to other areas carry an add-on charge from $20.00.
For a gift for a colleague or a reception desk, the Phalaenopsis orchid in a pink designed pot is a ready-to-display option.
FAQ
What is the best plant to keep on an office desk?
Fittonia, Peperomia, small Philodendron and Pilea are the best fits. They stay compact and cope with indoor light. Gardens by the Bay describes Fittonia as perfect for the office desk, and it has no known toxicity to pets or humans.
What are the best low-maintenance office plants?
ZZ plant, snake plant and Aglaonema, as recommended by the RHS for low-light offices. Pothos and cast iron plant are also reliable under overhead lighting. All of them prefer to dry out between waterings.
Can office plants survive without a window?
Many can survive under standard office lighting, including pothos, ZZ plant, Chinese evergreen, snake plant and cast iron plant, according to AP News. They will grow slowly, so water less than you would in a bright spot.
How often should I water office plants?
Check the soil rather than follow a fixed day. Water when the top 2 to 3 cm are dry, and expect to water less in low light. A weekly check is enough for most plants.
Sources
- Choosing and caring for office plants, RHS
- ZZ Plant, University of Connecticut Home Garden Education Center
- Snake plant, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Nerve Plant, Gardens by the Bay
- Eight Air Plants For Your Home, NParks
- Beautify Your Home with Aroids, NParks
- The Plant Doctor Is In, CapitaLand Singapore
- Chinese Evergreen Care, GreenIQ
- 15 Best Office Plants, BBC Gardeners’ World
- How to choose and care for office plants, AP News
- 27 Best Office Plants That Require Little Maintenance, The Spruce
- 5 Great Office Plants, Almanac
- Why every desk at your office should have a plant, TED Ideas
- Study: potted plants don’t improve indoor air quality, Phys.org
- How to Care for Art Prints, Photographs, and Textiles at Home