Chlorophytum comosum, often called spider plant but also known as airplane plant, St. Bernard's lily, spider ivy, ribbon plant and hen and chickens is a species of perennial flowering plant. The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), which tested the abilities of three common houseplants to remove formaldehyde from the air, found in preliminary tests that spider plants were the champs, removing 95 percent of the toxic substance from a sealed Plexiglas chamber in 24 hours. Such toxics waft from countless sources in our daily lives, including adhesives, ceiling tiles, photocopiers and upholstery.