Office air M A RK HA N COC K
Plants do more than add color to your workspace. BY CONRAD KERSTEN
The only thing worse than the office intern at completing reports might be the office plant. The office plant is not going to bring in new clients either. They are also awful at answering phone calls. The plant can’t even get the coffee order right. But before you have human resources fire that shrub for its lack of productivity, keep in mind that the plant might be contributing to your office’s success. Victor Goetz, chief operating officer of Calvert’s Plant Interiors, 5308 N. Classen Blvd., said studies show that certain plants are able to improve the air quality. Calvert’s has been locally owned and operated for more than 30 years. Located on the historic Rey Nursery, Calvert’s specializes in interiorscaping for homes and offices. Plants do more than convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. A study from Green Plants for Green Buildings, an organization that Calvert’s is a member of, said that the air in plant-filled rooms contains 50-60 percent fewer diseasecausing bacteria and mold than rooms without plants. With fewer toxins in the air, employees are more likely to be productive. The same study showed that employees are more productive and less stressed when plants are in the office. Goetz explained that there are microbes in the soil of plants. These microbes work with the root systems of plants to clean things like formaldehyde out of the air. Green Plants for Green Buildings lists the peace lily and the English ivy, among others, as plants that remove higher amounts of toxins from the environment. “It has been proven that the air quality goes up [with plants inside],” said Barry Fox, chief grower of Trochta’s Flowers and Garden Center, 6700 N. Broadway Extension. Trochta’s has been growing plants and flowers in Oklahoma City since the 1950s. “It has been recommended to have at least a 6-and-a-half-inch pot per 100 square feet of ... space,” Fox said. Even if your plants are not excellent at cleaning the air, any plant is better than none. “All plants are mother nature’s air filter,” said Kristy Rutland, greenhouse manager at TLC Garden Center, 105 W. Memorial Road.
WHY PLANTS ARE GOOD FOR OFFICES
1. They decrease stress and enhance productivity. 2. They create a more attractive environment for potential employees. 3. They purify the air. 4. The keep the “outdoors” in the minds of workers. (Think about that proverbial window people need to look out every once in awhile.) 5. Research has shows that shoppers are willing to pay more for goods in areas that include trees, even small ones. Sources: Plantcultureinc.com, earth911.com, greenplantsgreenbuildings.com, bayeradvanced.com
Rutland has worked at locally owned TLC for 12 years and has a degree in horticulture. TLC Garden Center specializes in bed design, floral design and landscaping. Plants do more than clean the air. Rutland said plants can also help lighten the mood in an office. Employees in an office with plants might be able to concentrate better, according to Green Plants for Green Buildings. Rutland said it is important to make sure that the plants match the environment that they are in and certain plants will work better in different offices compared to others. Rutland suggests the pothos ivy or sansevieria for their ease of care. Also, shops like Marcum’s Nursery, with locations in both OKC and Norman, offer pots of all sizes, shapes, colors and materials. Its plant offerings include everything from hearty, healing aloe varieties (in case an employee needs a natural skin remedy) to sunny blackeyed susans and even indoor ficus trees and ginger plants. “[Calvert’s] difference is we have trained horticulturists taking care of our plants,” Goetz said. Fox said that the care they show will help those without a green thumb find plants that are appropriate for their environment. “These local stores, like Trochta’s, take pride in having knowledge of our plants,” Fox said. “We want our customers to be successful with what they buy here.”
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