Houseplants decorate as well as clean the air at work and in homes or apartments, particularly when windows are closed over the winter months. Doctors tell us that an environment filled with lots of plants help to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and improve mind function, particularly our ability to concentrate.

Here are six easy care foliage plants that filter indoor air:

1. Ferns – non-hardy ferns, not the ones we plant outdoors, come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and shades of green. Textural and elegant, many ferns look good in almost any home decor. Two of the best are long-lived Asparagus fern* (Asparagus sprengeri) and birds nest fern (Asplenium nidus), the latter with attractive long spear-like glossy fronds. Keep room humidity high around ferns by daily misting and setting them on a pebble tray.

2. Dracaena – reliable carefree houseplants that tolerate low light, low humidity, and infrequent watering. Dracaenas come in all sizes, from 3-inch pot plants to towering specimens. Many offices select dracaena varieties as foliage plants, such as corn plant (D. fragrans) with wide, long leaves that arc gracefully from the stalk, and dragon tree (D. marginata) that can grow to the ceiling. Dracaenas ares the perfect addition to desks and tabletops.

3. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema) – decorative striped leaves and occasional flowers make these attractive plants favorites in most homes. Plants can be neglected for long periods and still be happy.

4. Bromeliads, members of  the pineapple family, are stylish easy care plants that adapt to modern home environments. Bromeliads produce colorful, long-lasting blooms and sword-like green leaves. There are so many to choose from and their colorful flowers come in shades of red, pink, orange and yellow.

5. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) – easy to grow and care for indoor plant that displays small glossy leaves on stems which can grow up to 3 feet high. It grows well in either low or bright lighting and with frequent or much less frequent amounts of water.

6. Snake plants (Sanservieria), also called “Mother-in Law” tongue are houseplants that you can’t kill (or you’ve got to try harder). There are several kinds available. Shop at your local independent garden center that has a good selection.

* not a true fern, a member of lily family (Liliaceace)