Someday, I would love to fill a room with houseplants that create the illusion of being in the rainforest (minus the snakes and mosquitoes).

Being in a room full of plants makes me want to take a big, deep breath. The air seems cleaner because it is. Plants purify the air, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the air, and they release water as part of their respiratory process, lending humidity to the air.

There are a lot of common houseplants that are popular for various reasons. Spider plants are easy to care for and easy to propagate from the spiderettes produced by the plant, the gel of the Aloe Vera plant is useful for minor burns, and Pothos are very forgiving of the gardener who sometimes forgets to water.

There is something to be said for the normal and everyday, as well as ease of growing, but plants that are striking in appearance add interest to a collection or area of the home. Following are a few that are not particularly hard to care for and will definitely get a second look.

Calathea is a tropical houseplant native to Brazil. Due to its origins, it prefers warm temperatures, avoiding drafts and adequate humidity to look its best and thrive. Most calathea foliage have a pinkish to purple underside and unique markings in various shades of green on interesting foliage.

Although tropical, most calathea do not prefer direct sunlight, making them a good plant for bright but less sunny areas. Interesting varieties include the rattlesnake plant, peacock plant, zebra, eternal flame and rose-painted calathea.

Another beauty that prefers bright but indirect light is the anthurium. Commonly known as tail flower, flamingo flower and painted tongue, this genus of flowering plants has about 1000 species.

The heart-shaped flower of the anthurium is actually a spathe, which is a modified leaf that branches out from the spadix, a fleshy spike where the inconspicuous tiny flowers grow. The spathe are usually red, pink or white.

Aglaonema, or Chinese evergreen, is a low-maintenance, low-light plant. Because the plant is no fuss and able to survive with very little light, they are a good choice for use in an office. There are about 30 cultivars, each one slightly different.

Red aglaonema is a stunning plant with red-tinted leaves. Emerald Beauty has rich, dark green foliage with striking gray-green markings. Other popular varieties include Silver Queen, Silver Bay and Painted.

One of the most exotic looking houseplants is the African mask plant. They show off with bold colors and shapes that resemble hand carved ceremonial masks. The combination of deep colored foliage set off by stark contrasting veins makes this a must have specimen. Some notable varieties are Black Velvet, Buko Park and Purple Prince. They prefer bright indirect light.

The pencil cactus is a groovy little plant. The branches are about the diameter of a pencil, giving way to its name. Although a cactus, it does not produce spines. However, it does release a milky sap when damaged that is toxic, so care should be taken when handling this plant. A unique-looking plant in the succulent family, it adds a dimension of texture to a grouping of plants. The pencil cactus is a light-loving plant, so a south-facing window with plenty of sun is perfect.

Another succulent that you might want to give the once over to is the donkey tail succulent. Another full-sun plant, it produces trailing tails of small, plump, tear-shaped leaves. It makes an excellent hanging plant for a sunny window.

Because I’m on a succulent kick at the moment, the Blue Curls Echeveria is one you just can’t help but take a closer look at. It produces cabbage-like leaves that are frilly, blue green beauties tipped in pink. It puts out long flowering stems that produce hot pink, orange-yellow, and light pink flowers. A truly magnificent kaleidoscope of color and texture. It’s definitely the hippie of the plant world.

Bring in a few, or bring in many – you just can’t help but feel good surrounded indoors by nature. Until next week, happy gardening.

— Irland, a member of the Limestone County Master Gardeners, can be reached at kippirland@hotmail.com. For more information on the Limestone County Master Gardeners, visit http://mg.aces.edu/limestone.