Herself's Houseplants

According to The Texas Master Gardener Handbook, house plant section the 21 house plants that can withstand the most neglect are:

Anthurium aemulum, Climbing Anthurium
Aspidistra elatior, Iron Plant
Chamaedorea elegans ‘bellas’, Dwarf Parlor Palm
Cissus rhombifolia, Grape Ivy
Crassula arborescens, Jade Plant
Dieffenbachia amoena, Dumbcane
Dracaena fragrans Massange, Dracaena
Euphorbia mili, Crown of Thorns
Ficus elastica, Indian Rubber Tree
Ficus benjamina ‘Exotica’, Java Fig
Hemigraphis colorata, Hemigraphis
Howeia belmoreana, Kentia Palm
Pandanus veitchii, Screw Pine
Peperomia obtusifolia, Peperomia
Philodendron cordatum, Philodendron
Sansevieria trifasciata, Snakeplant
Sansevieria laurentii, Goldenstripe
Sansevieria zeylanica, Sansevieria
Scindapsus aureus, Devil’s Ivy
Syngonium podophyllum Arrowhead, Syngonium

Having grown several of these plants, I’d tend to agree.

(aloe happily thriving in parking lot in Hawaii )

As far back as Egyptian times Cleopatra used the juice in the leaves of this plant have been used to treat her skin, burns and wounds. It is a fantastic healing salve. The juice does not keep well so try to keep a fresh aloe plant in the house.

Treat this as you would any cactus. Water it only when the soil is dry about 4 inches down. Thoroughly water it when you do water it. Allow excess water drain out of the bottom of the pot.

Aloe needs quite a bit of direct sunlight. Place it in a south facing window with no blinds or curtains blocking light. If it is not getting enough light, as is often the case in winter here in New England, the leaves will get soft and may bend down and crease.

Aloes have shallow root systems and so prefer wide rather than tall pots.

Cactus do not like to be fertilized. Do not fertilize them or fertilize lightly if you must.

When the aloe vera plant is large and old enough, it will begin to grow babies which you can separate out into separate plants when they are large enough.

I found several websites mentioning aloe vera as a poisonous plant but little information. I suggest you do not eat the plant, better to look at it and use it on burns.

Dying aloe plants can usually be revived by giving them lots of sunlight and little water. Use fluorescent table lamps to bring up the light level for your plant if you are going through a long dark winter.

Happy aloe plants will bloom indoors.

Problems:
Lack of sun and too much water are common causes of problems in aloes grown inside.

Leaves bent down instead of up means too little light.

Aloe rust can occur. If so give the plant more light and less water, if that doesn't work try a fungicide.

Useful things:
Aloe Vera Plant

gardenia

Gardenias can be a very trying plant. I murdered several of the poor beasts before I figured them out. They like to be cool at night and in a sunny place in the day. So put them near a sunny, drafty window. It you don’t have a drafty window stick them near your door. I have them outdoors now that we have moved south and they can stand a few nights below freezing comfortably, so don’t worry about them getting cold. In the summer put them outside after last frost, in a semi-shaded area, and bring them in before first frost. If it is too cold for them they will drop their buds and leaves may be light green. So cooler but not cold.

They like water, and need water almost daily. Keep a close eye on them and make sure the soil stays moist. They will drop all their leaves at a moments notice if the soil gets dry. Luckily they will rebound and grow new leaves if you correct the situation quickly. One of the things that makes a gardenia worth the trouble is that it is a winter flowering plant, at least indoors, setting blossoms when the nights are cool. They are heavily scented and one flower will fill the house with perfume.

Gardenias need acidic soil, basic water will yellow their leaves. So when you water them add a tablespoon of apple cider or plain white vinegar to a gallon of water.

Bud drop is usually from uneven watering or warm dry house air. Keeping them near a drafty window or door helps.

If the leaves turn yellow, but the veins remain green then fertilize, these plants are heavy feeders.

I found them to be very prone to spider mites. This can usually be cured with a couple doses of insectidal soap.

Most cases of Gardenia suicide are caused by nematodes. This is a soil borne root eater and Gardenias are highly susceptible to it. Either the plant is grown on resistant root stock or it is not.

See also:
Can you really turn that cool outdoor plant into a house plant?

Useful things:
Gardenia

Yes, I spelled it wrong too.

Bromeliads is what you are looking for, and the correct spelling.