The PILF-opedia

Banded leaves stand up straight like swords. Shrugs off dim corners and dry spells, and is very hard to kill.

Huge glossy leaves slashed with holes and splits, on a fast-climbing vine. Easy to please and quick to fill a bright room.

Glossy hearts splashed gold, on vines that spill from any shelf. Forgives dim rooms and missed weeks, just not soggy soil.

Hearts that open bronze and darken to green, on stems that trail or climb. Copes with low light better than most vines.

Like its namesake, long-legged sprouts arch out from a mounded center. Known for making babies and living forever.

A rounded crown of leaflets on a braided trunk. Happy with a weekly drink and no standing water, out of long direct sun.

White sails rise over glossy, dark green leaves. Shade suits it, and it droops when thirsty, so you won’t have to guess.

Waxy leaflets that look freshly polished, lined up on upright stalks. Fine in a dim office and patient if you forget it.

Fleshy, gray-green spears rimmed in small teeth fan out from the soil. A sunny window and a rare drink are all it asks.

Bright blooms dangle like earrings from flat, scalloped stems each winter. Gentle on pets; picky about its fall nights.

Heart leaves punched with oval holes, on vines that race up a pole. Grows fast for anyone with bright light and humid air.

Red-ribbed leaves painted lime and deep green, on a low, spreading clump. Charming, and a little particular.

Glossy red hearts on a bed of dark green leaves, blooming again and again. Asks for warm, humid air and repays it in color.

Leathery leaves polished to a mirror shine, on a tree that shoots up fast. Steady light and steady drinks keep it for years.

Green canes, curled or braided, with ribbony leaves up top. Lives in a vase of water, happy with a weekly refresh.

Big, violin-shaped leaves on a tree that can grow to the ceiling. Find it a bright spot it likes, then resist moving it.

Plump, jewel-green leaves on a stout, gnarled little trunk. Give it sun and the odd drink, and it’s yours for years.

Patterned leaves, some cultivars blushing red, in a tidy mound. At ease with office light, dry air and a skipped drink.

Silver zebra stripes over purple undersides, sparkling when the sun hits. A fast wanderer that rewards a regular trim.

Glossy, rippled leaves on a little tree that may one day bloom and set red cherries. Wants bright light and humid air.

Triangular leaflets in deep purple, on stalks as thin as wire. Wants some sun and takes the odd nap, then comes back.

Curly, ribbon-thin leaves spill from a bulb of a trunk. Sun-loving and slow, it shrugs off forgotten waterings.

Moth-winged blooms open one by one up an arching spike, for months. It flowers about once a year, and may rebloom.

Glossy, spoon-round leaves on pink-tinged stems, in a desk-sized mound. Thick leaves hold water, so a missed week barely shows.

Leaves marbled white over green, trailing slowly over the pot’s edge. Easy to keep, and happiest when the light stays bright.

Red-edged ribbons burst from slim, curving canes like fireworks. Slow in average light and quick to forgive a late drink.

Lemon, lime and cream stripes run the length of sword-shaped leaves. Grows slowly, asking for soft light and kind water.

Soft, arching fronds rise on slim green stems in a leafy clump. Happy in shade and dry air, and patient about growing.

Broad green fronds rise from a nest at its center. Content in shade, it asks for steady moisture and calm, humid air.

Dark green fronds rise like swords, then arch into a full fountain. Keep it damp and bright, and it holds its crown.

Orange-and-blue flowers shaped like a bird’s head over big paddle leaves. The more sun it gets, the better the odds of a bloom.

Sweet-scented blooms and real lemons on a glossy little tree. Your sunniest window earns the fruit, with some patience.

Glossy leaves splashed red, orange and gold, like a sunset that stays. Picky about light, and its color tells you how it’s doing.

Glossy, lobed leaves with pale veins, on strands that race down a shelf. Classic charm for a cool room and a regular trim.

Velvet leaves crowned with blooms most of the year. It asks for warm water, warm nights and a bright sill.

Spaghetti-thin strands spill from the pot in a long green cascade. A spineless cactus that’s easy to live with.

Glossy leaves on twining vines, then balls of starry pink flowers that look like porcelain. Easy on water, happy in a snug pot.

A gold stripe runs down every arching leaf, on canes as tall as a cornstalk. Forgives a missed drink and stays put for years.

Arrow-shaped leaves washed in pink or silver, on stems that bush up, then wander. Grows fast and changes as it does.

Green coins float on slender stalks around one upright stem. Quick to grow, quicker to share: pups pop up around its base.

Glossy, dark-green blades rise straight from the soil. Shade, drafts and forgetful owners barely slow it down.

Broad leaves marbled cream and green on a thick cane. Lush and leafy, with one rule: not for chewing.

Electric chartreuse hearts on trailing vines that light up a spot near a window. Forgiving, and glad to wait on a drink.

Deep green leaves pinstriped in cream, like a tailored suit. Each new leaf may come in streakier or plainer than the last.

Heart-shaped leaves with a lime-and-gold stripe down the middle, on quick vines. The more light it gets, the bolder the stripe.

Silver-flecked leaves that shimmer when light catches them, trailing at their own slow pace. Bright, but no direct sun.

Glossy leaflets fan out like spokes of an umbrella on a bushy tree. Happy in soft light, sulky when its water swings.