1 Spathiphyllum

Also known as the peace lily or Madonna lily, this plant is popular for indoors. Small enough for a tabletop, it's easy to look after and bears elegant white flowers on long stems. The form ‘Sensation' has larger leaves and flowers.

2 Philodendron

This tough medium-sized plant can handle low light and is fairly forgiving of neglect. It's ideal for putting in dark spots and hallways.

3 Ficus benjamina

The weeping fig is a small tree with little, green shiny leaves. Extremely tough and easy to grow, it can reach to a couple of metres tall indoors. It's often available in a multi-stem form or as a ‘lollipop' tree. Shown here is the variegated form Ficus benjamina ‘Variegata'.

4 Dracaena ‘Janet Craig'

Also known as the happy plant, this tall species suits medium light areas. It needs moderate watering.

5 Syngonium

Easy to maintain and insect resistant, syngonium has unusually shaped leaves, which are often mottled and variegated. This gorgeous plant loves humidity and needs frequent misting.\

6 Aglaonema crispum

‘Silver Queen' Also known as Chinese evergreen, this attractive small to medium plant is tolerant of low light, a dry atmosphere and mild to warm temperatures.

The lady palm is an extremely slow-growing (and often expensive), multi-stemmed, compact palm tree. It enjoys low light and needs to be kept out of draughts.

8 Stromanthe

The leaves of stromanthe offer a double charm. Their deep-green upper surfaces contrast with their brilliant purple undersides. Position this plant in bright light and mist the leaves periodically.

9 Ficus elastica The rubber plant is a medium-to-large specimen, bred for toughness. It has glossy, green or burgundy leaves, and survives in low light and a dry atmosphere. A variegated form has cream- and silver-splashed leaves.

10 Howea forsteriana

The tall kentia palm is native to Lord Howe Island (off the New South Wales coast) and has graceful, feather-like fronds. It tolerates dark to well-lit positions.