If you ’re new to the wild world of houseplants , breeze plants from the genus Tillandsia might have you grave your head .
A works that does n’t grow in soil ? Should n’t be potted ? How does that function ? How are you supposed to irrigate and fertilize it ?
No worries ! This complete aura industrial plant growing guide for beginners goes into all the ins and outs of Tillandsia care .
Keep reading for everything you involve to roll in the hay to keep your air plants happy and healthy !
revelation : If you shop from my clause or make a purchase through one of my links , I may incur commissions on some of the products I recommend .
About air plants
Natural habitat
Air plants from the genus Tillandsia are naturally launch in the Americas , all the way from the southeasterly United States down to central Argentina ( Granados Mendoza et al . , 2017 ) . Their natural habitats can variegate from shaded rainforests to arid , exposed semi - deserts .
What all air plants do have in common is that they do n’t grow in soil . Instead , they have evolve to grow in trees in a non - parasitical manner ( make them epiphytes , standardised toflamingo flowers , orchid cacti , andChristmas cactiin their aboriginal habitats ) or on rocks ( make them lithophyte likeAnthurium clarinerviumandHoya carnosa ) .
This is something quite typical of the overarching menage they belong to to , the Bromeliads ( Bromeliaceae ) .
Most of the species have a complex relationship with their environment , benefit in all sorts of ways from their host trees . For example , some melodic phrase plant specifically grow on tree species like oaks , which strip gamey charge per unit of minerals that the Tillandsia can use as food .
On the other handwriting , theair plants ’ often colorful blossom are important to hummingbirdsand other pollinators ( Aguilar - Rodríguez et al . , 2014 ) , and they also declare oneself tax shelter to all sorting of small critters .
tie in : How to make your own hummingbird foodat home
Did you know?
As members of the Bromeliad phratry , air plants are actually closely related to pineapple plant plant life .
Description
This is a funky houseplant if there ever was one ! Some species look truly alien , and there are load of variant within the genus Tillandsia — not too surprising given the fact that they occur in so many different habitat , but it makes it difficult to ply a general description .
Still , there are a few things most species have in common :
If you ’re from the southern United States , you might already be well acquainted with air plants , as the Spanish moss hanging from Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is one of the many species : Tillandsia usneoides . The same function for glob moss , easily screw as Tillandsia recurvata .
Uses and cultural significance
As mentioned to begin with , Tillandsias like Spanish moss are an built-in part of that “ Southern atmosphere ” you get in states like Georgia and Texas .
Be thrifty though : Anyone in these regions will tell you to stay away from these plants , as they transport chiggers , which are annoying bitey bug .
In primal and South America , topical anaesthetic have long used different Tillandsia specie for all sorts of purposes . According to a 2019 newspaper publisher by Estrella - Parra , Flores - Cruz , Blancas - Flores , Koch , & Alarcón - Aguilar , some of these uses include :
It has even been suggested that some Tillandsia infusion have usage in anti - ageing and other cosmetics .
The monumental - scale of measurement cultivation of air flora as houseplants is relatively newfangled . Some growers consider them as a good choice to other Bromeliad mintage , as they do n’t tend to collect standing water , which can be a mosquito jeopardy ( Dematte , 2005 ) .
Clearly , they enamor on ! you may now witness aura plants in every plant life store and there are even plenitude of ( online ) shop , as well as websites , dedicated solely to Tillandsia .
where to buy
Air plant varieties
Tillandsia is not a small genus : There are around 650 species out there ( Granados Mendoza et al . , 2017 ) .
Even in your local plant memory board , you ’ll sometimes be able to find quite a few unlike strain plants . All are specifically adjust to their instinctive habitat , which is why the different species can look quite unlike from one another .
Roughly speaking , you could disunite Tillandsias into two group : xericandmesic .
Xeric Tillandsiasare rule in sunnier habitat that are prostrate to drought and fluctuating temperatures ( think deserts and mountain areas where humidity is low-pitched and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree cover is sparse ) . They ’re often growing on Rock at high altitudes and are adapted to bright , drier conditions .
Xeric strain plants can be recognized from their fuzzier appearance . This fuzz in reality consists of trichomes , the small silvery “ hairs ” an gentle wind plant uses to absorb water . Trichomes regulate the amount and timing of water allowed into the foliage and can protect the works from sunburn .
Not only are xeric Tillandsias fuzzed than their mesic cousins , but they run to be grayer in appearance as well .
Mesic Tillandsiasare mostly liquid in appearance ( or at least have fewer trichomes ) , as the species of course get plenty of air moisture from their moderately soused rain forest environments .
They can usually be found in cool , dampish habitat with more humidness and less direct light . ( I ’ll get back to this in the discussion section on igniter and lacrimation , as it does influence the amount of lightness and moisture an air plant life take in the home . )
Mesic air plant life tend to be on the dark-green side compared to xeric species , but just because they ’re a “ wet ” industrial plant does n’t mean they actually like tostaywet all the time . It simply means they can tolerate more frequent watering .
Now that you sleep together the difference of opinion between xeric and mesic Tillandsias , have ’s discuss a few of the most popular air plant species — the ones you ’ll likely detect in your favorite flora store .
Caring for an air plant
Light and temperature
In the base , most air plants will broadly do OK in bright collateral light . This being said , calculate on the coinage , you’re able to opt to give them a little more or less .
Xeric air works hail from orbit that run to be more exposed , which means they ’re adapted to receiving more direct sun than their mesic cousins .
Basically , the fuzzy your strain plant , the more xeric it is , and the more verbatim sun it will prefer .
In terms of temperature , the ideal mountain chain will also depend on the species of line plant you ’ve got on your hand . way temperature should be fine , though 50 ° F is the low most will be able to take : any colder and they can start suffering , or at least block up get .
When it comes to passion , they can deal pretty much anything you may confound at them , as long as they ’re not being literally burned by the sun .
Water and humidity
If you ’re not intimate with growing line flora , this is plausibly the fleck you ’re most confused about . But no concern , it ’s not that complicated !
Instead of keep your plant hydrated by pouring water into the grime , you’re able to do so by spraying , dunk , or soak them .
The favourite method and frequency depend on factors like the case of air industrial plant , air flow levels , amount of luminance , and zephyr wet . You ’ll have to experiment a flake to figure out what works for your works !
My own preferred method is to soak most ( but not all ) of my mesonic air plants in a bowl of water for half an hr every 10 to 14 Day ( reckon on the season ) . Between soaks , I thinly spray them with H2O whenever I commend to , as they tend to be thirstier .
For my xeric plant , I dunk or spray them ( never soak ) every 10 to 14 days and keep an optic on them in between waterings .
Sometimes they ’ll call for more frequent mists of water ( especially in a warm , sunny family in summer ) and sometimes they ’ll be quite well-chosen going two week without any hydration ( specially if they ’re placed in an field that fix less light and stay on the tank side ) .
Even more significant than the watering oftenness , however , is proper drying . Air plants will distinguish you themselves if you ’ve waited too long to water supply by curling and tightening their leaves , so it ’s difficult to let them get too thirsty .
The true danger is in the possibility of rot : due to their russet scab - like maturation pattern , air flora can trap wet between their leaves or even their bulbous base .
You really need to dry out your Tillandsias upside - down to run out excess wet ( I do this in a dishful drying rack or on a kitchen towel ) , and possibly even consider a gentle lover to ensure they dry well after a good soaking .
As for breeze humidity , an excessively dry environs is n’t ideal , although xeric melodic phrase plants wo n’t hurt as much as their moisture - loving mesic cousins .
This means that if your home run to be on the wry side , it can be a practiced estimate to prefer for the fuzzier coinage , which have more trichomes for extra efficient water consumption .
Soil and planting
One of the reasons so many houseplant enthusiasts adore air plants is because they have batch of exemption to be creative . No pot is needed , so it ’s up to you to amount up with a fun air flora holder !
Or don’t — you could just position your Tillandsias down on any control surface and leave it at that .
I care to exhibit my flyspeck Tillandsia plant inside raw vessels like barnacle shells , sea urchin shells , and coastal rock music filled with holes .
Larger Tillandsias can be wax on wooden board ( I especially love control board with a live edge ) , driftwood logs , or garland human body ; place in macrame or ceramic plant life holder ; or hang in kokedama - style arrangements .
A terrarium is a democratic selection for air plant , but it ’s not idealistic . These guys necessitate beneficial airflow to foreclose decomposition , which a terrarium unfortunately lean to miss . atomic number 29 telegram holder are also not idealistic , as this fussy alloy can become toxic to your plant when it oxidizes .
There are a few different slipway you may wax your Tillandsia without harming the plant life — I’ll get to that in the next department below .
My favourite places to buy stylish melodic line plant holders :
If you ’d care to do something fun with your air plant , here are a few options I ’m a devotee of :
Fertilizing
Just like any other houseplant , your melody plant will appreciate a little bit of fertilizer from metre to time if it ’s growing well .
During the bounce and summertime produce months , you could use a special Bromeliad or Tillandsia fertilizer . These normally come in spray bottles , although some involve you to mix the fertiliser yourself .
If you ’ve got access to a pool or aquarium , you ’re in luck . Your aviation plants will love a soak in some nutrient - full-bodied fish pee and it ’s a great free alternative to normal plant food .
Recommend fertilizers for Tillandsia plant :
How to mount an air plant
If you ’re wondering what ’s the best manner to mount a Tillandsia , here are some of my favourite method acting for attaching an air plant to virtually any surface .
Wire
I ordinarily commend using telegram whenever potential ( except copper wire , which can be toxic to melodic line plants ) . When using telegram , carefully intertwine the wire through the bottom leaves , wrap it around the foot a few time , then bind to a frame or other target .
Fishing line
This is similar to wire , except the clear crinkle makes the climb up nearly unseeable , which is a summation ! Just like you do with wire , wind the line around the breeze works a few metre , attach it to the mount surface , and secure the ending with a knot .
With some ingenuity , you’re able to create some sensational floating displays if you attach your airwave plants to a long line and hang it from the roof .
Glue
Not just any glue , but a waterproof adhesive that ’s safe for breeze plants . Glue is a good choice for ride atmosphere plants to driftwood pieces , rocks , and other surfaces where you want the backbone point to be completely unseeable .
I recommendE6000orTilly Tacker ; be measured not to get any glue on the leave , just swob it on the base and let it dry out .
Keep in mind that if you glue your air plants , you wo n’t be able to hook them . So this method is best for aviation plant that choose to be sprayed rather than soaked : Tillandsia xerographica , Tillandsia tectorum , Tillandsia magnusiana , mintage with wispy leaf like T. fuchsii v gracilis and T. andreana , and bulblike specie like T. bulbosa , T. caput medusae , T. pruinosa , T. pseudobaileyi , T. butzii , and T. seleriana .
Here ’s a telecasting from my pet air flora nursery demonstrating how to employ Tilly Tacker to attach gentle wind plants to a while of wood .
Propagating an air plant
call back when I said that air plants be given to grow in a clumping way ? They be given to die off after flowering , but not before producing setoff . These can be found at the mother plant ’s base and offer a fantastic gentle method for air works extension .
If you ’d like to manifold your air plant life , all you need to do is to keep caring for an first - producing female parent plant until the pups reach at least one - third of her size of it . Once they ’re ready to continue lifespan alone , you could carefully break them off and go on caring for them as you would for any other air plant . Yep , it ’s really that simple !
you could grow melodic line works from seed if you manage to cross-pollinate a flower . It ’s a bit of a hassle though , mostly due to the teeny diminutive size and slow growth of the result baby works . Germinating air plant seeds is a project best suit to the straight Tillandsia enthusiast !
Frequently asked questions
Nope ! Air plant make a great , secure option if you share your place with kids or a furred or feather Quaker . They ’re well-off to keep out of reach of curious minuscule hands or paws because they do n’t need to be planted , and if anyone does manage to take a bit out of an inauspicious Tillandsia , the plant will be the only victim .
intoxicate your air plants ( mesic metal money only ) in a sink , stadium , or bucketful fill with water for at least 20 hour and up to 1 60 minutes . Submerge the entire industrial plant , though if it ’s starting to bud , it ’s good to keep the bud above water so as not to disturb it .
Once your works is thoroughly inebriate , give it a good waggle and let it dry upside - down to keep spare moisture from pooling in the meat , which promote putrefaction .
Watering is often the foxy part of worry for aura plants , as some species wish to be soak ( mesic Tillandsias ) while others prefer to be dunked or even just thinly obnubilate ( xeric Tillandsias ) .
In world-wide , the fuzzy the air plant , the less it likes being soak , as the trichomes ( small silvery hair ) make the plant more susceptible to rot .
Air plant that should never be soaked include Tillandsia tectorum ; Tillandsia magnusiana ; Tillandsia xerographica ; specie with wispy leave like T. fuchsii v gracilis and T. andreana ; and bulbous species like T. bulbosa , T. caput medusae , T. pruinosa , T. pseudobaileyi , T. butzii , and T. seleriana . To water these plants , simply give them a spry dunk in weewee or spray them more frequently to keep them hydrated .
Proper watering habits and airflow make all the departure ! It ’s upright to underwater your air flora than to overdo it . dry out your Tillandsias well after watering ( ideally upside - down to drain all excess moisture ) and keep them in a speckle that gets lots of fresh air .
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