At 7:50 a.m. on a Monday morning, the office building in downtown Berlin was still bathed in the hazy morning light. When administrative assistant Hanna opened the glass door to the marketing department’s office, she suddenly stopped in her tracks — a potted artificial green taro plant had appeared on the previously empty workstation by the window.
In a light gray cement pot, three artificial green taro plants were stretching out towards the rising sun. The largest leaves at the top were as big as a hand, their deep green surfaces gleaming like satin. “When was this added?” Hanna leaned closer and, without realizing it, brushed the edge of the leaf with her sleeve — not a speck of dust was stirred.
Department head Erik came out from the break room with a coffee in hand: “Didn’t everyone complain last week that the office felt like a gray box? We specifically chose these artificial green taro plants for the office, they were just placed last evening.”
Sunlight filtered through the slats of the blinds. Hanna lightly touched the edge of one of the leaves, feeling the warm texture typical of artificial materials. “It’s just like the taro leaves in my grandmother’s garden,” she couldn’t resist walking around the pot for a closer look.
At that moment, designer Lukas rushed in with his computer bag. He stared at the plant and mumbled, “Did we move the rainforest into the office?”
The marketing department’s office followed a typical Scandinavian design. The artificial green taro plant was placed on a low cabinet by the window, instantly giving focus to what had previously been a dull corner.
Hanna walked around the plant. “The three plants are staggered in height, and the simulated morning dew on the leaves is just perfect.”
Erik set down his coffee cup and pointed to the edge of the pot: “I chose this cement-textured planter. Look at this half-curled new leaf, doesn’t it resemble a fresh taro sprout from the market?”
At noon, the sunlight grew more intense. Lukas suddenly noticed the way the light made the leaves appear subtly different in color.
“The gradient is so natural,” he opened his design software to compare, “this has so much more depth than the plant images I found online.” Intern Anna entered with a file to make copies: “It’s solid, so we don’t have to worry about it being knocked over.”
During Wednesday’s department meeting, Sofia, who had just transferred from the Munich office, stared at the splash of green: “Is this a real plant?”
Erik smiled and opened his thermos: “It’s an artificial green taro plant. We had considered real taro plants, but the horticultural advisor said the north-facing office doesn’t get enough sunlight. These artificial plants are much more convenient — no worries about rotting roots in the rainy season, and they won’t wilt when we turn on the heat in the winter.”
Lukas suddenly knocked on the meeting table: “Speaking of convenience, wasn’t the admin department just counting who forgot to water the office plants last week? No one’s going to complain about these, right?” He reached out and lightly touched the bottom leaf.
“I specifically chose food-grade silicone material,” Erik pulled up the product manual from the supplier, “It’s waterproof, fade-resistant, and has EU environmental certification. See how the backside of the leaf feels fuzzy? It’s much higher quality than plastic plants.”
Hanna suddenly pointed at the computer screen: “During the video conference earlier, colleagues from the London headquarters asked if we had moved to a new office.”
On Thursday afternoon, a cold rain poured down. Hanna was carrying a report when she passed the low cabinet and noticed Sofia was staring at the taro plant.
Sofia snapped out of her trance and smiled: “It reminded me of my grandmother’s house in the countryside. I was getting a headache writing the report, but just looking at this leaf made me feel so much better.”
During evening overtime, Lukas moved his laptop to the window-side desk. He suddenly realized how much smoother his design flow had become.
“I used to hate overtime,” he said to Hanna, who was bringing him coffee, “Staring at the white wall for so long would make my eyes feel dry, but with this artificial plant by my side, overtime doesn’t seem so bad.”
Hanna added a cube of sugar to his mug: “The cleaning robot bumped into it earlier, and not a single leaf moved.”
On Friday morning, Anna placed a small wooden calendar next to the plant. “The first thing I do every morning now is check on it,” the shy intern said.
At the second week’s department meeting, someone suggested putting a potted artificial green taro plant on every desk. “The client reception area especially needs one,” Sofia flipped through client feedback forms.
Hanna pulled up the supplier’s catalog: “They also have versions with bamboo baskets. The removable leaf design is great too.”
Erik was calculating the budget on the whiteboard: “It’s much cheaper than buying real plants. No need to hire a gardener. HR just told me that since we added this plant, the employee tardiness rate has dropped.”
During lunch, everyone gathered around the computer to pick out styles. “I think the finance department would be perfect with dark green; the creative team could try one with gold edges.” “How about a large one for the front desk?”
Lukas suddenly raised his hand: “I found that the artificial green taro plant is really photogenic! Yesterday when we were taking team photos, we placed it in the background, and it worked better than any professional plant backdrop.”
In the end-of-month employee satisfaction survey, the rating for “office environment” increased by 42% compared to last month. Hanna posted the report on the bulletin board.
“I didn’t expect a single plant could have such an impact,” she said to Erik as he walked by. Erik was wiping the dust off the leaves: “I’ve already ordered five new ones. One for the break room, two for the meeting room entrance, and the rest for the newly renovated training room.”
Sofia walked in holding a sample — it was a mini version of the artificial green taro plant. “The colleagues in Munich saw our photos and are already asking for the link,” she placed the small plant on the stack of files.
The sunset cast a soft glow on the leaves through the rain mist. Hanna suddenly remembered the surprise she felt when she first saw it on Monday morning.
“Maybe next year, our entire floor will be surrounded by this greenery,” she looked out the window at the gradually lighting street lamps.
Erik laughed and added: “By then, we’ll be the greenest creative company in Berlin. But for now, let’s find a good spot for the new mini artificial green taro plant.”
As the rain outside began to stop, the leaves inside the office still retained their vibrant green color in the twilight.
