With summer kicking in to full gear and temperatures on the rise, it may be tempting to turn up the air conditioner to stay cool, but there is a much more environmentally friendly way to keep the temperature down in your house, and you probably didn’t even know about it.

Although you probably have a few plants around your house because they look pretty and fit with your decor, there are certain plants that not only look nice, but can help flush toxins out of the air and keep the temperature cool.

They do this because they lose water during transpiration, which means the air around them is purified and cool. The USDA estimates that the proper use of plants could decrease the air temperature in a space by as much as 10 degrees.

The extra moisture they create can help you maintain an indoor humidity of 30 to 60 percent, the perfect comfort zone for humans. This humidity also keeps wood furniture from drying out and cracking.

If you’re looking for a natural and inexpensive way to cool down your house, check out these six amazing plants that you might want to consider adding to your house this summer.

1. Aloe Vera – Having this plant around helps lower the air temperature, remove formaldehyde from the air, and comes in handy if you get a nasty burn.

2. Areca Palm Tree – This popular plant is not only decorative, but a natural humidifier. In addition to cooling off the air while humidifying it, the areca palm also removes trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde from the air. It sells at Home Depot for around $28.

3. Ficus Tree – Also known as a weeping fig, this plant will help reduce the air temperature and improve air quality by removing pollution from the air.

4. Fern – A fern plant not only adds humidity to the air while cooling the temperature, but it is also one of the most air purifying plants according to NASA scientists. Just like aloe vera, it is good at cleaning formaldehyde out of the air.

5. Snake Plant – Also known as a mother-in-law’s tongue, this plant comes recommended by NASA to help purify the air. It gives you oxygen at night, helps drop the air temperature, and absorbs large amounts of toxins in the air.

6. Golden Pothos – This is a perfect plant for those people that don’t have a green thumb. The golden pothos requires little light and care, but will keep your air cool and purified. A six-inch potted golden pothos sells for about $17 at Home Depot.

If you are going to give a few of these plants a try in your home, be sure to share this story with your friends so they can try out their green thumb this summer too! If you want to try your hand at creating some beautiful pots to keep your plants in, check out this DIY video.