Live vs. Artificial Office Plants: Which Is Better?

There are a lot of factors to consider when making the choice between live and artificial plants to decorate your office that go beyond deciding if you want to water one or not. Based on your own personal preferences of looks, maintenance, and health benefits, you must weigh the pros and cons of each to choose which kind of plant is best for you.
Aesthetic
Life happens and sometimes you may forget to water the plant for a few days. Then it starts to look sad and brown, which can make an already stressful working environment look even more depressing. If you want a plant to boost the cheeriness of your work space, then a live plant might be too unpredictable for you. Artificial plants are produced with such vibrant colors and a glowing sheen that you may prefer that look to brighten your office.
Maintenance
While some living plants are more high maintenance than others, you can’t neglect them for too long, unless you’re okay with surrounding yourself with cacti. If you’re like many others who practically sleepwalk through the office before they get their morning coffee, a cactus might prove to be your downfall. Some plants also do better in constant sunshine, so keeping them near a window can be quite limiting. You may also not have a lot of natural lighting in your building, which could slowly kill your plant. If you know beforehand that you don’t want to commit to watering the plant daily or that it will not have access to sunlight, then an artificial plant is probably the best option for you.
Health Benefits
Lots of people aren’t aware of the many health benefits live plants offer to humans! We learned in school that plants breathe carbon dioxide and release oxygen, but many people don’t make the connection that keeping one in close proximity can be really healthy. If you live in city with lots of pollution, populating your office with a few living plants could be the cheapest air filtration system you need. Other plants also give off soothing aromas that can help keep an intense working space more relaxed. If you have asthma or just want extra mental clarity, keeping some plants near your desk could work wonders for your health and productivity.
Before choosing which kind of plant you want, you must first ask yourself what motivates you to get one. Once you establish your goals and level of commitment, then you can make the educated decision on whether a live or artificial plant is just what you need to improve your work space.