What native plants make good indoor plants?
Answer
The NASA plants studies used houseplants to measure their effectiveness in filtering toxins associated with "sick building syndrome" as well as the plants' effectiveness in producing oxygen.
Why did they use houseplants? Because, generally speaking, houseplants thrive in the same temperatures that we enjoy, and can live in homes with light levels lower than outdoor sunlight.
I'm not not aware of studies using natives (and since you live in Philadelphia I'm assuming you mean plants native to Pennsylvania) as good candidates for houseplants exhibiting high success in filtering toxins and producing oxygen. Since you want the plants to grow successfully indoors, I'm wondering if plants native to this area would be a good choice. Certainly, our indoor habitat does not mimic the requirements of plants native to this area. If you'd like to learn more about the NASA studies, you may want to read How to grow fresh air : 50 houseplants that purify your home or office by Wolverton. We have a copy here in our library which you may borrow, since you are a member. The easiest thing would be for you to bring your membership card with you when you come to visit the library. And you are certainly welcome to use our library to see if you can come up with plants you'd like to grow indoors.