Your workspace is an important place and should be set up to inspire and nurture your efforts. Here are the best plants to enhance your space – and help clean the air – based on your zodiac sign.
Aries (March 21 – April 19)
While fire sign Aries is known for being bright, bold, and a risk taker, they thrive when they go all in on something. Create your indoor oasis with pothos of your choosing.
Known as a lucky plant – and, more specifically, a money plant in many parts of the Indian subcontinent – this southeast Asian climbing beauty will quickly span the length of your office when provided the right conditions. Its alternative name is “devil’s ivy,” because it is one of the easiest plants to care for, and will vine aggressively, to match the personality of its Aries owner.
This makes it perfect for trimming, propagating, and gifting as well, so you can easily create multiple plants to post up in your office space or gift to your friends and family. Pothos’ heart-shaped leaves will speak to your highly passionate side, and it comes in so many varieties – golden, marble queen, neon, manjula, jessenia, silver/satin, pearls and jade, n-joy, and cebu blue – that every personality will have a variety to fall in love with.
We suggest setting it on a bookcase or your desk where it can get a solid amount of indirect light. If your office space has the ability, hanging it also provides a wonderful esthetic. Watering your pothos every 5-7 days in the summer and 7-10 days in the cooler months will allow it to really thrive.
Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Taurus’s are a little quieter than their Aries calendar predecessors, and often desire stability in their lives. Enter: the Parlor Palm. NASA gives this clean-air plant a high purifying score, which means stable, healthy breathing air in your workspace.
This highly sought-after palm variety is very hearty and will grow well in most conditions, sustaining lower light than many of its tropical brethren. Self-sufficient like the mighty Taurus, parlor palms will grow to be 3-4 feet tall, and can easily be tucked into a corner to be displayed during any upcoming Zoom calls.
We suggest watering your bigger palms every one to two weeks once the soil has dried out, more so if it gets more light. Smaller palms also do well on bookshelves and tabletops, providing a truly tropical feel to the space. (Because who doesn’t like a mini, reliable getaway moment?)
Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
Geminis are efficient workers who thrive in spaces where their brains are stimulated. Their charisma and flare hearken thoughts of bold, interesting plants. That’s where the pinstripe plant (calathea ornata) – or any calathea, really – comes in.
A tropical plant, the pinstripe’s waxy leaves are shiny and show off soft pink, almost cartoonish, stripes. They are absolutely striking and will have all of your coworkers swooning at their gorgeous facade. But these beauties are tropical plants, and sometimes getting the humidity balance just right can be taxing. Calathea leaves will crisp up quite quickly in reaction to the wrong watering levels, temperature, or light. Since Geminis are such great task workers, ensuring your dramatic calathea gets the care it needs should be engaging and probably even fun!
Bright, indirect light will be best for your beauty, which looks stunning by an office door or on a desktop. Temperatures of 65 to 85 degrees are preferable, and keep the soil lightly moist for a healthy beauty.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Cancers are natural-born nurturers, so having plants to take care of is actually very beneficial to this water sign. While they have a tendency to take on other peoples’ problems as their own – especially in a work environment – it might be easier for our Cancer friends to jazz up their space with easier plants to care for.
This emotional, colorful, comforting personality will really thrive with the warm tones of the ginny plant – or peperomia ginny – in their space. Its thick leaves boast green, cream, and rose colors, and in the right environment, it produces unscented flowers that are absolutely adorable.
Avoid direct sunlight with this beauty, which will bode well as a focal point on a side table in your space. Temperatures between 68 and 78 are ideal in the summertime, though the plant can handle no lower than 50 degrees for the most part. Allow the soil to completely dry out between watering.
Leo (July 23 – August 22)
Big, bold personalities deserve giant leaves and a lot of style. Leos are warm, compassionate, and fun humans that draw to mind warm climates, so we’re jonesing for a basket of our tropical friend monstera deliciosa in their creative workspace.
Its big, dark green leaves have leaf holes along the edge, and – as chance would have it – most people recognize this plant as being a focal point in The Lion King. Though it rarely flowers when grown indoors, this plant is known to produce delectable fruit if given the right conditions.
Like most of its houseplant friends, deliciosa will thrive in temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees, with a big drink every one to two weeks. If you have a humidifier handy, they will grow like weeds given a tropical environment. Monstera deliciosa will grow to be rather large, so a larger corner in your space will allow it to take shape and expand. Use it to frame your Zoom calls or for any photo ops, you may partake in.
Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
Virgos are perfectionists. As such, they really shouldn’t be bothered by high maintenance plants, as their work is very important and takes precedence over everything. However, where there is a will there’s a way.
Succulents are going to be the best option for this busy – and oftentimes stressed out – sign, if not only for their hardiness and reliability. Echeveria also represent persistence and strength, as they are tough by nature and are delightful to look at, making them a great mid-shift pick-me-up. Plus, offshoots grow off the mother plant, making them easy to separate and gift.
Moderate amounts of water during the hot season is perfect for this plant. Allow soil to dry out completely between watering, and do not let your succulents sit in a wet saucer. Root rot is their worst enemy.
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
Libras have a natural tendency to stand back and look at a problem or obstacle from every side. Because of this, we want to make sure their office space is set up with a plant they can admire from every side. Velvet leaf philodendrons – also known as the sweetheart plant – are native to Central America, and are absolutely gorgeous. Boasting velvety leaves, they often grow green – and some variegate to yellows and other jewel tones – on the top of the leaf, with a pink or rosy tone to the bottom of the leaf.
They trail out gorgeously like their pothos friends, so are great hanging plants in windows behind partially opened blinds, and are fun and easy to propagate for others!
Keep the soil of your philodendron moist in warmer months, and water only when the top two inches of soil dry out in the winter. You can also mist the leaves with filtered water to keep this humidity-loving friend happy and healthy!
Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
We’re just going to go ahead and say it: Scorpios are stubborn. As such, they are actually drawn to the sharp points and angular look of cactus plants. The low maintenance nature of cacti is also attractive to this sign, as they aren’t necessarily known as nurturers and like to keep things simple.
We’re fans of the Peruvian apple cactus for this strategic sign. Why? Not only is it really simple to care for, but it flowers for one night in the summertime, resulting in delicious fruit. It grows between 2 and 4 feet per year, so it’s just as passionate about reaching for the sun as Scorpios are in their convictions.
Keep this fun plant in full sun, perhaps by an office window. Water it sparingly, and reap the benefits of watching it grow and transform, as if by magic.
Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)
Sagittarius humans go boldly in whichever direction or career path they choose, and so do the gorgeous, understated, bird’s nest ferns. Their squiggly fronds are incredibly endearing.
Typically found in the rainforest, these ferns grow well on top of other plants, and are naturally found high up in trees. They slightly resemble bird nests. (Hence the name.) As houseplants, their fronds grow up to two feet, and they have a slow growth rate.
Whether you choose to mount your fern on wood with moss and spritz it into infinity or plant it directly in soil to hang from the ceiling or set on a shelf, make sure to give this plant enough heat, humidity, and light, as they are a little more finicky indoors than other plants.
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)
Capricorns are motivated by success. In our world, success is health and happiness. Nothing screams success like good, clean air, and an optimized living and working environment.
This is where the sansevieria – i.e. “mother in law’s tongue” and “snake plant,” both for obvious reasons – comes into play. It is widely known as one of the best plants for air purification in existence. Their thick, multi-colored leaves stand up straight and grow from 1-4 feet tall, and some more than 3 inches across and they come in many varieties to really spice up the space.
This plant does well in window light, however is known to thrive in low light conditions, and is almost impossible to kill. (Almost.)
Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
Aquarius are vibrant, creative personalities that often feel as though they are on the fringe of society, a little less conventional than other zodiac signs. Pilea peperomioides seem that way too, with their bright green, thick, circular leaves. But with those leaves comes a brighter future, as this plant is also widely referred to as a Chinese money plant and is said to symbolize prosperity. Its quirky leaves grow through the center of the shoot and push out in every direction, and some fuller pilea plants look more like globes.
With some well-draining potting soil, drainage holes, a little weekly watering, and well-filtered sunlight, they will absolutely multiply.
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
Pisces read into everything. They need plants in their environment that have meaning. Luckily for them, a ZZ plant – i.e. “aroid palm,” “fat boy,” and “eternity plant” – is the way to go. Why? This plant’s dark green, thick, waxy leaves are very striking, and it is thought to bring good fortune. The shine on the leaves is considered to be lucky, and this plant is often referred to as a fortune tree.
Just like Pisces, the limbs on these bad boys are sensitive and are fun to knock around to help them grow strong and wind-resistant. (And give you something to do between meetings, of course.)
ZZ plants work well in lots of indirect light – try to avoid direct sunlight on these babies – and require well-draining soil.
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