The 12 Hottest Houseplants for Your Home Office, According to the Masses

With the pandemic forcing so many people to work from home, it’s essential to find new sources of inspiration to keep spirits and productivity high. Decorating with houseplants is one great way to fill your home office with positive, natural energy and freshen up your house while you’re at it.

In their new WFH Interiors Trend Report, Made.com revealed which houseplants have become the most popular for the home office. They first reviewed an extensive list of houseplants and determined which were best suited to an office space, based on factors like low requirements for light, water, and attention. From there, they analyzed search volumes to find out which of those plants were most searched-for on the internet in 2020. They also reviewed the hashtag usage of 23 varieties to determine which houseplants were most popular on Instagram.

Related: The Best Plants for Every Room of the House

Air plants are the number one Instagrammed houseplant for the home office, coming in at a healthy 613,426 hashtags. A distinctive yet calming presence, an air plant requires virtually no maintenance, as the tiny stems absorb what they need from the air through their leaves, and the plant can thrive almost anywhere. All it requires is a spritz of water every one to two weeks.

The most searched-for houseplant on the internet is the spider plant, which comes in at first place with a yearly search volume of 486,000. Spider plants feature ribbon-like foliage that sparks visual interest in the home office. They’re known for purifying the air, and they are nontoxic to pets.

Aloe vera is the second most searched-for houseplant on the internet and the fifth most popular houseplant hashtag on Instagram. This multitasker requires little water, improves air quality, and contains a healing gel within its leaves that can be used to soothe rashes, burns, and bugbites.

Related: 5 (Nearly) Kill-Proof Houseplants

Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, the snake plant is a low-maintenance beauty with tall, thin leaves in vibrant hues of green. It ranks number three in the list of the most searched-for houseplants of 2020, with an annual search volume of 397,200. Like many common houseplants, snake plant is toxic to pets, so situate it safely away from your dog or cat.

The second most popular houseplant on Instagram, with 216,644 hashtags, succulents are low-maintenance plants that require little water and can withstand both heat and lots of sunlight, yet are very frost hardy. Succulents come in fascinating shapes, textures, and colors that make them appealing additions to a work-from-home space. And they are easy to propagate.

Related: 11 Creatively Stylish Ways to Display Succulents

With 266,400 annual searches, bamboo plants are the fifth most searched-for houseplant on the internet. Particularly common in homes is the lucky bamboo plant, which is part of the Dracaena genus and not actually a bamboo. In feng shui, it’s regarded as a source of good luck and happiness, but it’s also toxic to cats and dogs, so keep it out of reach of your pets.

With 144,596 hashtag uses, peace lilies are the third most popular houseplant on Instagram. This graceful air purifier puts out beautiful leaf bracts that resemble flower petals. The peace lily requires medium to low light and should be watered when the soil is dry.

Related: How to Help Your Houseplants Survive the Winter

With a yearly search volume of 145,200, the jade plant ranks as the seventh most popular houseplant in 2020 internet searches. The resilient succulent, also known as “money plant,” is considered a token of good luck, prosperity, and wealth. It is, however, toxic to both cats and dogs.

ZZ plants have a yearly search volume of 52,800 on the internet and 107,637 hashtag uses on Instagram. The ZZ plant tolerates low light, acts as an air purifier, and features beautifully wide, dark green leaves, characteristics that make it ideal for the home office. Keep it away from your pets, though, as it’s yet another toxic plant.

With 97,200 annual searches, prayer plants come in at eighth place on the list of most searched-for houseplants on the internet. The hardy plant is a stunner in the home office, with variegated foliage and strongly geometric veining.

Hoyas have 91,592 hashtag uses on Instagram, making them the seventh most popular plant on the social media platform. Hoyas are revered for their waxy foliage, and many species also produce sweetly scented flowers.

With a yearly search volume of 97,200, cacti come in ninth on the list of commonly searched-for houseplants on the internet. These low-maintenance plants come in an array of unique shapes, sizes, and textures, and can be intriguing additions to the home office.

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