• House plants aren't just attractive, they improve the air in your home.Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
  
  One way to decrease indoor air pollutions, is to bring a little of the outside in. Houseplants do more than just add color to the landscape. Houseplants don't only convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, they absorb other trace substances -- sometimes toxic -- eliminating them from the air. While most plants require bright light, there are plants that thrive in the lower light of northern or eastern exposures.
  
  

Mother-in-Law's Tongue

• Mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) is a slow-growing, succulent house plant with spear-shaped leaves. These leaves are dark green with stripes of lighter green at the edges and will grow to 24 inches tall. Also known as snake plant, mother-in-law's tongue prefers bright, indirect light such as found near an east-facing window and average room humidity. In summer, during the growing season, water when the first inch of soil is dry. Reduce watering in the winter, while the plant is dormant, giving this plant just enough to keep the soil from drying out, according to the online Guide To Houseplants. Mother-in-law's tongue is a low-maintenance houseplant suitable for beginners, but interesting enough to intrigue experts as well.
  
  

Heartleaf Philodendron

• Also known as the sweetheart plant, heartleaf philodendron has heart-shaped green leaves that tend to climb or trail. Heartleaf philodendron grows to 4 feet long and is suitable for a hanging plant or a trellis. This plant prefers indirect bright light but will tolerate low-light situations, according to Guide To Houseplants. Place this plant in front of an east-facing windows that only gets brief morning sunlight or a window facing north. Water when the first inch of soil is dry and feed monthly with a half-strength liquid fertilizer during the summer months. In the winter, allow this plant to go dormant by reducing the amount of water. A South American native, heartleaf philodendron thrives in a humid atmosphere. Although it tolerates the drier conditions found indoors, misting it occasionally increases the vigor of this plant.
  
  

Dracaena

• One of the most diverse varieties of house plant, dracaena bears long, thin leaves in a wide range of colors. These plants prefer indirect light, but can grow in low light as well. Water when the first inch of soil is dry and feed with a liquid general purpose fertilizer once a month during the growing season. Dragon tree (Dracaena marginata) has deep green leaves with stripes of purple along their margins and is one of the best plants for office decor as it thrives in low light, as does the variegated green dracaena Warneckii..