Very quick background:

After a childhood of owning snakes, and about 30 years between then and now, my son took an interest in having a snake of his own. I purchased him a ball-python, and started with my old standard of Hide, Paper Towels, Water Dish, basking and heating, and that was it. Now, after 10 years of fish hobby, both in freshwater and saltwater, my brain desires having a full style vivarium.

What plants are best for Ball Pythons to have in their enclosure?

I have never been a fan of any substrate besides dirt/gravel, but have chosen to use coco fiber for the ball python. It seems to be pretty good, it is very inexpensive, and it smells great. Because I feed the ball python in a separate container, i am not at all concerned about particulate interference. I am thinking of sectioning off some portions and putting in plant friendly soil style substrates and putting in some plants.

What plants do best with Ball Pythons? I haven't done a whole lot of research, but when I headed to the nursery today to get Pothos plants, the guy sold me a philodendron Brasil, instead, without me eve realizing that it was not the same as pothos, which I should have purchased.

In addition to that, after researchign everythign about philodendron, I have read that it is considered toxic to most herps. Because Ball Pythons are carnivores, does this still apply to them? Or is the sap and dripping dangerous to them as well?

I understand that this topic about live plants comes and goes day after day, but I am really most concerned with learning what makes a plant dangerous to a ball python if there is no worry for ingestion.

So:

What plants are specifically poisonous to ball pythons?

What makes the best substrate for ball pythons which is capable of growing plants? (instead of putting them in pots)

What regional plants from Central and Western Africa are best to use in the vivarium?