At my most recent market, I received a lot of questions about my air plant displays. Overall, I think that there is a lot of confusion surrounding these plants, and most questions stem from the fact that they are so different from other plants. These differences are part of what makes air plants so unique and amazing, however, misunderstanding them can get you in big trouble when it comes to air plant care. First of all, what even is an “air plant”? If you asked an expert, they would tell you that “air plant” is just a nickname for Tillandsias, plants in the Bromeliaceae family, which are a kind of Epiphyte. This explanation, although correct, would not be remotely helpful for the average person who has no idea what these words mean or even how to pronounce them. So, let me translate. Tillandsia (till-land-si-ah) is the scientific name for what we call an air plant, just like Taraxacum is the scientific name for a dandelion. Tillandsias are part of a plant family called bromeliads. Many, many plants are in this family, including pineapples! What they share in common is that they are from tropicals areas, like Central America. Saying that air plants are a kind of Epiphyte (eh-puh-fight), means that they grow on top of other plants, but do not harm them as a parasite would. In their natural habitat, the jungle, air plants make their home on top of trees or other large plants where they have access to light and nutrients. How are they able to do this? Any other plant would not be able to survive on the branches of trees because of the simple fact that they need soil to get their water and nutrients. Air plants, however, have a unique structure which makes living like this possible. The main difference is this: they absorb what they need through their leaves! This is why many air plants that are used as house plants don’t have roots. In the wild, many air plants will still have roots which help to secure them to their tree, but they don’t need these roots to bring in nutrients. Now that you know this, never ever plant an air plant in soil. Instead, you can soak it in a bowl of water for 20-30 minutes one a week, or mist it with a spray bottle about three times a week so that it can bring in water through its leaves. What else is different? Another unique thing about air plants is the way they reproduce. There are two ways that a baby air plant can start its life, the most common of which is growing as a pup. This process is started when an air plant reaches maturity and flowers. These blooms are super pretty, and only happen if the plant has been well cared for. After the air plant is done flowering, it will begin to grow 1-3 pups at its base. Once these babies have grown to about ⅓ to ½ the size of their mother, they can be separated and exist on their own! Although this is the most common and easiest way, I recently learned that air plants can also grow from seeds. This process takes much longer and involves germinating the seeds before they are planted. If I ever try it, I’ll write about how it went. I also plan on writing another post that will go more in-depth about the life cycle of air plants, so look out for that! For now, I hope you learned something interesting about air plants and what makes them unique!
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Megan KamperHi! I am the creator of Thrive Living Art! I love to learn about how to help plants thrive, and then combine that knowledge with my creativity to make living art! On my blog, you'll learn more about taking care of succulents and other plants. You'll also find out what Thrive is up to, and where I'll be selling my art next! Buy your creation in person!Archives
December 2020
Are you struggling to keep your plants alive?Get some advice!
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