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Re: Rubberplant --- It does survive with low light levels, but gets really leggy. Move it outside during the summer to encourage bushier growth.

For a low-light, hard to kill plant, I love Mother in Law's Tongue, Sansevieria trifasciata. A not too spectacular specimen is actually in your last photo on the right, but it can look awesome and modern as well.

Can anyone confirm which of these are safe for pets/kids?

The Rubber plant is the only kind of plant I managed to grow successfully (i have a major yellow thumb). I left my last rubber plant in CA, but plan to get one again very soon. They do look beautiful and grow quite tall.

the last plant labeled as dracaena marginata is in fact split-leaf philodendron.

There's nothing there that I haven't killed at least once. We'll maybe not the MIL's tounge. But it's not so much a plant as it is an indestructible weed.

I think the dracaena marginata is the one on the top right, above. It is pretty easy and removes impurities in indoor air (according to wikipedia). I had one once that didn't survive. Maybe more than once. It is intolerant of constant damp soil (again according to wikipedia), maybe that's what killed it.
I liked it though. It is very attractive, IMO.

I think the ficus trees are quite tough. They outgrow the space, especially if you put them outside for the summer.

I love my hoya (hindu rope). It is gorgeous. They can grow very long if you want to keep repotting them. I like mine small, so it stays in a smaller pot. I also have a cactus without any spikes. It is bad feng shui when they have spikes, so I like them without. Every time I give it water, I can practically see it plump up all full and watery. I also have a pretty angel ivy that is very pretty and romantic looking. It has a circular iron wreath that it is growing around. I threw in some fake sprigs of holly berries, and viola, it's a living Christmas wreath.

I might try one of these! I love plants, but they don't love me... my thumbs aren't yellow, they're black!

I can't believe that golden pothos didn't make the list! (ok, I'll fess up, I had no idea what the name was, so I googled and found it.) It's sold in every grocery store and I find them indestructible and versatile.

Light? Who needs light? These things grow in offices with nothing but florescent lighting. If you allow the stem to grow, you can eventually have enough to circle a room with the vines, although the leaves become more sparse. If you cut it back, the plant will be more compact and leafy. And it is quite easy to take cuttings and start new plants. Just cut off a stem with a few leaves, douse the stem in a pre-prepared root cutting mix, stick that in a small pot with soil, and water. Voila!

Coleus does very well, and you have the choice of so many leaf colors and patterns. I bring mine in from the garden each year and winter them in my kitchen's north-facing window.

orchids

they flower... then they get very dormant... and flower again

very little watering, especially when dormant

and to replace the so last two years ago antlers: staghorn ferns for the wall... BUT take the directions seriously: you let it dry out, then plunge the thing into a bathtub of cold water till the bubbles stop, like drowning a mobster in the east river, drain the tub, and leave it there for 15 min. till it ain't too drippy and put the fern back up to dry out all over again... I guess that's what happens on the mountaintops

ryttu3k: I have a black thumb too. Without wanting to, I've even killed cactus and bamboo, which EVERYONE says are practically indestructible they're so easy... ha!

Does AT have a permanent guide for houseplants somewherE? I have some awesome retro bullet planters, but I'm terrified of putting plants into them because I have Z E R O experience with houseplants. Anything? Anyone?

me too Eliz II!!! i think killing cactus deserves a special award!

The fig (ficus lyrata) is poisonous for pets.

dear black thumbers

my biggest fault is a tendency to overwater (especially when I forget to water and panic)... that is lethal mom behavior

anxiety not so good

relax... and don't expect something that wants sun not to miss it and something that wants shade not to fry in the sun

and do be a little nutty and talk to them... goodnight goodmorning and lookingood... I always formally introduce a new plant to the others... nutty, absolutely, I AM talking to myself....

brooklyn_kate is right about golden pothos / philodendron.

I have it all over my house and love it --- and I've managed to kill everything else including snake plants (MIL's tongue) and rubber trees.

Have a bunch of philodendron in my windowless office as well and they thrive under the fluorescents.

Christmas cactus is pretty easy to keep alive. When you mistreat it, it blooms. Mine always blooms at Passover, though...

Bamboo from IKEA will last forever with no light...you'll think it's dying as it grows up, the lower leaves turn yellow...pull those off, the upper leaves are fine. It gets tall and weedy, though...but at least it's alive.

If you have any sun at all, a jade plant can be pretty easy. Encourage splitting by nipping back leaf buds (between older leaves at the ends of branches) every once in a while.

Shamrock (purple) are really, really easy. They can be planted or left outside in the summer like coleus. And, they look really unusual...I've split mine 3 times and shared since i moved here. The corms are indestructible, so it's easy to split.

Everyone ends up with an African violet from time to time. Drench it regularly, but DON'T GET THE LEAVES WET. I pour in under the leaves until the tray is completely full, empty the tray, and do it again from the other side. They love sun, so put them somewhere where they'll get a bit.

Oh, and all those are safe for pets.

When my cat goes after the plants (which I'd just rather not encourage), I make a water/cayenne paste and paint it on the outer leaves that she's nibbling on. It just looks like some red specks, and they fade eventually. Don't do it to the African violet, though!