Send them off to college with houseplants

While you are loading the car with everything your college-bound student needs for their dorm room, remember to save space for some houseplants. They are more than just beautiful living decor, houseplants are also air cleaners, stress relievers and memory enhancers.

Studies show being around plants improve concentration, memory retention and the quality of one's work - perfect for college students.

Plants are also calming, and according to the NASA Clean Air Study, many houseplants remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. VOCs are chemicals used in common household products - like cleaners, toilet paper, tissues, furniture and carpeting - that are released into the air by off-gasses.

Houseplants absorb these pollutants through their stomata (microscopic openings in their leaves). Pollutants move down through plants to the roots where microbes biodegrade them into food for themselves and the plants.

Finally, through transpiration, plants release water vapor back into the air.

Even time-starved college students with light-challenged dorm rooms can grow beautiful houseplants. There are several that are not only pretty, they are also very easy to grow.

Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema commutatum) are lovely foliage plants perfect for rooms with low to medium light conditions. Their arching, lance-shaped leaves are usually variegated with shades of silver, gray, pink or red. Chinese evergreens have caught the attention of hybridizers and many new varieties with brighter and more unique color variegations are now available.

Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elation) lives up to its common name. It is almost indestructible, withstanding neglect, low light and low humidity - conditions often found in dorm rooms. Cast iron plants grow very slowly to 2 feet tall so purchase the largest plant the space allows.

In tropical jungles, pothos (Epipremnum aureum) vines its way 40 feet or more but limits its growth to 6 to 10 feet in pots. To encourage plants to be bushy instead of vining, stems should be pruned periodically. Pointed heart-shaped leaves may be all green or variegated with white or yellow. Pothos thrives in a variety of light conditions, but variegation is better is higher light.

Sansevieria spp. is a carefree, tough succulent that grows almost anywhere. Commonly called mother-in-law tongue and snake plant, it tolerates a lot of neglect. Many varieties have leathery, sword-shape leaves edged with yellow or white. Sansevieria spp. releases oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide at night so this is an ideal choice for a bedroom. It can go for weeks without being watered and even tolerates a room without windows.

At the bottom of the list alphabetically but top of the list for ease of care is the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia). It has thick, upright stems with dark green leaves so shiny they almost look plastic. It prefers to dry out completely between waterings and can survive for months without water. ZZ plants prefer bright, indirect light but grow quite satisfactorily in lower light situations. ZZ plants grow slowly so buy the largest plant you can afford. They are more expensive than other houseplants but worth every penny.

Get the school year off to a good start. Remember to add houseplants to those lists of school supplies.

Diana Stoll is a horticulturist, garden writer and speaker. She blogs at gardenwithdiana.com.