I bought my first houseplant about three months ago. My partner and I moved into a new apartment that got a lot more natural light, and I was looking for a new way to decorate, throwing away our old college dorm posters… finally. Those who know me well know me to be a person without much patience, so the idea of keeping plants alive, and having the patience to be fulfilled by how much they were growing, was almost a foreign concept to me. I put in a little research into what types of foliage that would flourish with the amount of light our apartment was getting during the day. I started with one plant in the foyer and another in the living room. Now I have over 30 plants in three months, including each of the sturdy plants described below:

1. Heart-Leaf Philodendron.

Highly regarded as the most popular houseplant, the heart-leaf philodendron thrives in low light and prefers to to go almost dry in between waterings. The philodendron grows vines and can have a long life span when properly tended to. When considering the air quality of your home, the philodendron absorbs xylene — a toxic chemical used in manufacturing leather, glue, tissues and rubber. My grandmother, who moved to the United States from the Philippines before I was born, believes the heart-leaf philodendron to be a blessing and good luck for the home; for it symbolizes health and prosperity.

2. Snake Plant.

Sansevieria can go weeks without water and still maintain it’s health and good looks. NASA has even determined through research that the snake plant is the best for cleaning the air in your home, removing toxins like: trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, and ammonia. In the 80’s NASA sought to find ways to clean the air in their space stations, almost every plant in this article is listed on their study of recommended plants for cleaner air, but the snake plant is at the top. The snake plant is very adaptable to growing conditions and can flourish in low light, but grow fastest in bright light.

3. Pothos Plant.

The pothos plant is a great starter plant for those looking to create a home full of foliage. I started my plant collection with a pothos plant, and it is by far the fastest growing plant in my among them. Also on the list of NASA’s best air cleaning houseplants, the pothos plant is a beefy, leafy plant that can tolerate an environment that most plants do not. The pothos plant is a powerhouse for indoor plants and can thrive in low light and the cold. Pothos plants are known to grow leggy and long when placed in low light

4. Spider Plant.

The chlorophytum is a fun indoor plant that tolerates poor conditions and is very easy to propagate. With the name to suit its looks, the spider plant has long, thin leaves growing from the dirt with occasional vines that will grow babies. Tolerating both low light and indirect bright light, the snake plant can grow outside in well-draining soil. When placed in indirect light or partially shaded yard, the snake plant will grow tiny white flowers from the vines that will eventually develop spider plant babies. These babies are just small starts to another spider plant and can propagate easily. Once roots start to grow from the bottoms of the babies, they can be cut from the mother plant and rooted in water until they are ready to be potted or planted in dirt.

5. Dieffenbachia.

Also known as “dumb cane,” dieffenbachia is a tropical green and yellow plant. While this beautiful plant does wonders for cleaning the air in the room, it is also poisonous! My dumb cane is kept up high and out of reach from my dog. Dumb cane prefers conditions with plenty of light and warmth. If too many days go by without watering, the tall green and yellow leaves with start to droop. In my limited experience, watering dieffenbachia once a week will keep the leaves from drooping and the soil from completely dying out.