At Compas Inc. in Pennsauken, tropical ferns and orchids thrive without ever feeling a summer breeze.

"They are so perfect people think they are artificial -- but they're real," said Jeanne McHugh, office manager for the pharmaceutical advertising agency.

In an era of corporate cutbacks, office greenery might seem a likely candidate for budget pruning.

But business is growing, literally, at Interior Plant Creations in Southampton. Although he won't provide figures, owner Jeff Braungart said revenues have nearly doubled since he bought the company two years ago.

"Plants don't just make a room beautiful," he said. "There are definite returns to them."

Studies say that plants help to clean the air. At Cooper Medical Services in Camden, lush stands of green also contribute to a sense of well-being.

"It gives the patients and the people who work here the feeling that we care about them," said Kathleen Campiglia, assistant to the property manager.

The health-care system brought in IPC to spruce up existing plantings and set up greenery on four levels.

"There were a bunch of overgrown plants, not looking too good," Campiglia said. "Jeff came up with a plan that is absolutely breathtaking."

Braungart brought in non-flowering species, such as Warneckii, a leafy plant with dramatic yellow stripes commonly known as lemon lime. Snake plants send out spiky leaves, while lady palms offer uniquely shaped fronds.

"It's called a lady palm because the leaves are pointed at the end like a lady's fingernails," he said.

Campiglia said the design is pragmatic as well as pretty.

"We decided to use larger pots, which make more of a dramatic impact -- plus, it's harder for people to walk off with them," she said."

A staff of technicians cares for plants on site, watering and keeping leaves glossy.

"If you keep plants clean, feed them and rotate them occasionally, they can last for a long time," he said.

IPC's clientele includes offices, retailers and restaurants, such as Redstone in Marlton. IPC Landscape Management, a division of the company, handles outdoor plantings, including the one outside Cooper Plaza.

Braungart, 47, said small plant installations don't cost a lot of green. For example, plantings for a bank branch might cost $500, plus a $25-per-week maintenance fee.

An enthusiastic gardener, he bought IPC after 20 years of managing health clubs.

"I love plants and I am always landscaping at home," he said.

Braungart brings in almost all his plants from Florida, shipping them directly to the job site.

Increasingly, that includes flowering species such as anthurium, a waxy, exotic bloom shaped like a heart, and neoregelia, a riotously hued cousin of the pineapple.

At Compas, the emphasis is on plants that dazzle, including an array of orchids.

"We moved to a new office and wanted something in keeping with our new setting," McHugh recalled. "What we got was elegant and colorful."

She is an avid orchid fancier. McHugh and other plant aficionados on the Compas staff receive expert direction from the IPC plant technicians regarding their personal flora and foliage.

"The woman who maintains the office plants is wonderful," she said. "People bring in plants from home and she gives them advice."

Reach Eileen Smith at (856) 486-2444 or esmith@courierpostonline.com