Winter can change the growing conditions inside an office. Shorter days can reduce natural light, heating can dry the air, and plants positioned near windows, entrances or air-conditioning may experience greater temperature fluctuations.
The good news? With the right plant selection, your workplace can stay green and inviting throughout the cooler months.
Many of the indoor plants we use in commercial spaces are selected for their ability to adapt to indoor conditions. The key is matching each plant to the right position, available light and environment, combined with appropriate watering and ongoing maintenance.
Here are 10 office plants that can handle winter well in commercial spaces:
1. Zanzibar Gem
The Zanzibar Gem is one of the most reliable plants for office environments.
Recognised by its glossy, dark green foliage and structured form, it can adapt to lower-light indoor conditions and requires relatively little water compared with many other indoor plants.
This is particularly useful during winter, when plant growth generally slows and growing media can stay moist for longer.
Its clean, architectural appearance also makes the Zanzibar Gem an easy addition to contemporary offices, meeting rooms, reception areas and joinery.
Best for: Offices, meeting rooms, reception areas, joinery and lower-light spaces.
2. Sanseverieria
Sansevieria is another hardy office favourite.
Its distinctive upright foliage creates height without taking up a large footprint, making it particularly useful in commercial interiors where floor space is limited.
Sansevieria can tolerate a range of indoor light conditions and does not require frequent watering. During winter, this resilience makes it a practical choice for areas where natural light may reduce throughout the season.
Available in different sizes and forms, it can work as a single statement plant, within planter clusters or incorporated into joinery.
Best for: Offices, corridors, reception areas, meeting rooms and joinery.
3. Kentia Palm
The Kentia Palm brings height, softness and movement to commercial interiors.
Its elegant arching fronds make it particularly effective as a larger feature plant in reception areas, boardrooms, breakout zones and open-plan offices.
Kentia Palms have a long history of being used successfully indoors and can adapt to moderate indoor light. During winter, positioning remains important. Keeping the plant away from cold draughts, frequently opening doors and direct blasts from heating or air-conditioning will help maintain its appearance.
Best for: Receptions, boardrooms, breakout spaces and larger office areas.
4. Janet Craig
Janet Craig is a proven performer in commercial planting.
With its dense, deep green foliage, it provides plenty of greenery while maintaining a neat and professional appearance. It performs well in moderate indoor light and can be used as both a freestanding plant and within larger planting arrangements.
Like many indoor plants, Janet Craig generally uses water more slowly during the cooler months, making appropriate winter watering particularly important.
Its versatility makes it a dependable option across a broad range of office environments.
Best for: Offices, meeting rooms, lift lobbies, reception areas and joinery.
5. Ficus Lyrata
The Ficus Lyrata, commonly known as the Fiddle Leaf Fig, remains one of the most recognisable statement plants for commercial interiors.
Its large sculptural leaves create strong visual impact and make it particularly suited to design-led office spaces.
Unlike some of the lower-light plants on this list, Ficus Lyrata needs a position with plenty of good natural light. During winter, it should also be protected from cold windows, draughts and direct heating or air-conditioning.
In the right environment, it can continue to make an impressive statement throughout winter.
Best for: Well-lit reception areas, breakout spaces, meeting areas and feature planting.
6. Deremensis
Deremensis is a versatile Dracaena commonly used throughout commercial interiors.
Its long, strappy foliage creates a lush appearance while remaining relatively compact and easy to incorporate into office design. Available in both bush and cane forms, it can be used in freestanding planters, clusters and joinery.
Deremensis performs well in moderate indoor light, making it a practical option when winter daylight is reduced.
A stable position away from extreme temperature changes will help it maintain healthy foliage throughout the cooler months.
Best for: Offices, joinery, reception areas, breakout spaces and planter clusters.
7. Anthurium
Anthurium brings bold, tropical-style foliage into the workplace.
Its broad leaves create texture and visual interest, making it an effective choice for larger planters, joinery and layered planting schemes.
It performs best in a stable indoor environment with good indirect light. During winter, protecting the plant from cold draughts and direct airflow from heating or air-conditioning becomes especially important.
Positioned correctly, its substantial foliage can provide a strong green presence throughout the year.
Best for: Joinery, reception areas, breakout spaces and feature planting.
8. Green Aglaonema
Green Aglaonema is an excellent choice when you want dense foliage without requiring a particularly bright position.
Known for its attractive patterned leaves and compact growth, it performs well in moderate indoor light and works particularly well in office joinery and mixed planting displays.
Its ability to adapt to indoor environments makes it useful during winter when daylight levels can change significantly across a workplace.
As with most tropical foliage plants, it performs best when protected from cold draughts and sudden temperature changes.
Best for: Offices, meeting rooms, joinery and areas with moderate light.
9. Devil’s Ivy Pothos
Devil’s Ivy, or Pothos, is one of the most versatile plants available for commercial interiors.
Its trailing growth makes it ideal for shelving, hanging planters, joinery, framed vertical gardens and green walls. It can also adapt to a range of indoor light conditions, making it particularly useful across different areas of a workplace.
Growth may slow during winter, but with appropriate light, temperature and watering, its cascading foliage can continue providing plenty of greenery.
It is an excellent choice where plants need to soften hard architectural lines or introduce greenery at different heights.
Best for: Joinery, shelving, hanging planters, vertical gardens and green walls.
10. Bromeliad
For workplaces looking to introduce more than green foliage, Bromeliads can add an immediate burst of colour.
Their distinctive leaves and colourful central displays make them particularly effective as feature plants in reception areas, meeting rooms, hospitality spaces and smaller planter arrangements.
Bromeliads prefer a warm, stable indoor environment with appropriate light, so their position becomes especially important through winter. They should be kept away from cold windows, entrances and direct heating or air-conditioning.
Used in the right position, Bromeliads are a great way to maintain colour and visual interest inside during the cooler months.
Best for: Reception areas, meeting rooms, hospitality spaces and colourful feature displays.
What Changes for Office Plants During Winter?
Winter doesn’t necessarily mean you need different office plants. It means the environment around them needs to be considered.
Indoor conditions can change considerably between summer and winter, even in a climate-controlled workplace.
Less Natural Light
Shorter days and changes to the angle of the sun can alter how much natural light reaches different parts of an office.
Plants that performed well in one position during summer may need their environment reassessed during winter. This is also why plant selection should always be based on the actual light available within each area.
Slower Water Use
Many indoor plants grow more slowly during the cooler months and consequently use less water.
Watering them at the same rate throughout the entire year can leave growing media wet for too long. Professional maintenance allows watering to be adjusted to the individual plant, its position and seasonal conditions rather than following a fixed schedule.
Heating and Air-Conditioning
The office might feel comfortable to us, but plants positioned directly beside heaters, air-conditioning outlets or frequently opening doors can experience very different conditions.
Hot and cold draughts can affect foliage, particularly on tropical indoor plants, so thoughtful positioning remains important throughout winter.
The Right Plant in the Right Position
A Zanzibar Gem and a Ficus Lyrata may both work beautifully in the same workplace, but that doesn’t mean they should be placed in the same conditions.
While a Zanzibar Gem can adapt to lower light, a Ficus Lyrata requires considerably more natural light to perform well.
Successful indoor planting comes down to understanding each area of a workplace and selecting plants accordingly.
Keeping Your Workplace Green Through Winter
Winter doesn’t mean commercial spaces need to feel dull or disconnected from nature.
From the structured foliage of Zanzibar Gems and Sansevieria to statement Kentia Palms, Ficus Lyrata and colourful Bromeliads, there are plenty of ways to keep workplaces looking green throughout the cooler months.
At Green Design, our team considers the available light, layout, temperature and design requirements of each commercial space before selecting the right plants for each location.
Our indoor plant hire service includes the plants, decorative planters, installation and ongoing professional maintenance, with declining plants replaced when required. This keeps workplace greenery professionally maintained throughout winter and all year round.
Bring More Into Your Workplace
Whether you’re refreshing an existing office or introducing indoor plants for the first time, the right plant selection can transform how a commercial space looks and feels.
Green Design provides professionally designed, installed and maintained indoor plant hire solutions for commercial spaces across Sydney, Brisbane, Newcastle, Central Coast, and the Gold Coast.
Let’s work together to create a sustainable biophilic design that makes your space cleaner, greener, and healthier.
Green Design Indoor Plant Hire is a member of the Interior Plantscape Association who represent members in the greenscaping industry who design, install and maintain a broad range of indoor and outdoor green life.
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