If there’s one place that could use a little life and fresh air, it’s the office. But as anyone who’s ever had to throw away a dead desk plant knows, the workplace can be an unforgiving environment. According to Christopher Satch, plant specialist at the Sill , a New York company that specializes in indoor greenery, finding a plant that won’t wither in your cubicle isn’t impossible. The key is choosing a variety well suited to the lighting conditions, whether you’re in a windowless office or a sunny open-plan space. “Light equals food for plants, and certain plants need more than others,” he says. “Light quality will influence watering and plant growth.” Here, Satch shares his tips for finding a plant that will not only survive on your desk, but thrive.

High Light If your desk gets direct sunlight throughout the day, you’ll want to choose plants that can handle a hot and dry environment, such as cacti, succulents, and euphorbs. “If the humidity isn’t too low, your office could support a bird of paradise plant, a ponytail palm, or thick and fleshy air plants,” says Satch. “If the office is reasonably normal to humid, then you could do bromeliads, thinner air plants, and staghorn ferns.”

Window boxes with ivy and parlor palms add life to a neutral office space.

Medium Light For desks in an open office with bright indirect light, choosing the right plant depends on the temperature. If you’re wrapped in a blanket thanks to overzealous air-conditioning, Satch recommends ferns, aglaonemas, pothos, or philodendrons. “If the office is warmer, try dracaenas, rubber tree plants, and monsteras,” he says.

Pots of bird’s-nest fern and pothos work well in medium light.

Low Light A work space without natural light may feel inhospitable to plants (and humans), but there are greenery options for even the darkest corner of the office. “Snake plants and zizi plants do well in low light or artificial-light environments,” says Satch. But if you have your heart set on a plant that needs more light, Satch has a solution. “If you must, must, must have a higher-light plant, you can create a supplemental desk light to shine on the plant,” he says. “Generally, a CFL bulb with a high lumens and a warm color rating placed one foot away from the plant will do if you want to keep a cactus or other plant alive. It may take some experimenting.”

A snake plant thrives in low light.