You might be like me, and if you are, you might like having a little green by way of houseplants around your space. Whether it be adorning your desk at work, on a bedside table, or in that rather plain-looking corner in your house (and if you really are like me, you need something cheap to put there). Lucky for you, air plants are not only trendy and cheap, but they look great in almost any space and come in a variety of shapes, species, and colors.

First-What Is it?

Air plants or members of the Tillandsia genus are actually not plants that live on nothing but air as the name might suggest. They are actually just a type of plant that survives with no soil, meaning they grow in the air. The most popular kinds of air plants are Tillandsia Ionantha, otherwise known as the “sky plant”, Tillandsia xerographica, which blooms beautiful yellow or red flowers, and Tillandsia usneoides, or “Spanish Moss” which emits a pleasant fragrance.

Second-Give it a home

Once you’ve selected what type of air plant you like, it will need somewhere to live. The great thing about air plants is that since they don’t need soil, they can be placed in cool and creative places. I’ve seen these plants in terrariums, hanging from the ceiling or walls, or even placed directly on a table or other flat surface. The important thing is that air plants like a space with plenty of bright light, but not direct sun. That makes air plants the perfect houseplant and especially well suited to rooms that get plenty of daylight.

Last-Don’t Kill It

This is the most important step. Once your air plant has a nice, bright home, you’ll want to make sure your air plant gets the amount of water it will need to thrive. Most air plants need to soak in water once every two weeks. To do this, place your plant in a deep bowl of water, and let it hang out for three to four hours. This will give your air plant time to hydrate. Once you remove the plant, gently shake off any excess water, and allow to dry upside down to prevent the base of the plant from getting soggy. Between soakings, you should water your air plant once every week via a spray bottle. This is important because air plants take in water from both the leaves, and the base of the plant.

That’s it! You’re ready to bring a little life to your space. I can smell the fresh air already. Can’t you? Just make sure to pick the right plant, put it in the right place, and give it a little water every now and then and you’ll be good to go