Tillandsia is also known as an air plant. Air plants are a member of the epiphyte family. This plant needs no soil to grow and gets its nourishment from the air. Air plants have specialized leaves that draw in nutrients.
Other well known epiphytes are Thanksgiving cactus, Christmas cactus, and Easter cactus.
Succulents like tillandsia are drought smart plants that are super easy to grow and make fantastic houseplants. Be sure to check out my tips for how to care for succulents.
An air plant can also have roots, but it uses these only to attach itself to rocks, trees, shrubs and even the ground. They can be displayed in so many creative ways and make wonderful indoor plants.
Air Plants – the house plant that lives on a bit of neglect.
Air plants are common in the Southern US, Mexico, as well as Central and South America. They are epiphytes, a type of plant that actually seems to thrive on a bit of neglect.
My type of plant! As much as I love gardening, there are times when I manage to kill a plant from getting too busy with my life. It is nice to know that there is a plant that will put up with this.
One might think that air plants are parasites since they attach themselves to trees, but epiphytes grow on other plants for physical support and do not normally affect the host plant in a negative way.
What is Tillandsia Moss
Spanish Moss, also known as Tillandsia Usneoides is an ephiphyte often seen in the Southern areas of the USA.
It is a flowering plant that often grows upon larger trees in tropical and subtropical climates. The plant is native to much of Mexico, Central America and South America. It is probably the most common air plant in the United States.
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Care of Air Plants
In spite of the fact that air plants get nourishment from the air, there still do need a few things to grow well.
Circulation – air plants often attach themselves high in trees, so it stands to reason that they need some air circulating around them. You can’t expect to put it in the back of a cupboard and have it thrive. Good air circulation will keep air plants happy.
This image shows an air plant holder with circulation from all sides, allowing more than one air plant to be displayed effectively. Image provided by reader of this blog Lanka W. Thanks for sharing Lanka!
Moisture – Even though air plants don’t need to be watered often, they do need some moisture or they will shrivel and eventually die. Misting with a plant mister, a few times a week, not watering, takes care of this.
During the really warm months, you might need to mist them once a day if they look as though they are shriveling. In the autumn and winter, once or twice a week will do.
For air plants to really do well in a home environment, the whole plant needs to be placed in a container of water once a week and then dried out before placing it back in its container.
Sunlight – Air plants choose trees and shrubs to attach themselves to for a reason. It gives them some protection from full sunlight. Bright filtered light or partial shade will result in the most healthy plants. Colorful air plants such as this Tillandsia ioantha need a bit more like than the plain green ones.
Fertilization – Once a month in the summer months, add some liquid fertilizer made for air plants to the watering mister. Very weak fertilizer ration is best – about 1/4 strength.
Temperature – These are tropical plants. They won’t like it one bit if you leave them outside when the temperature dips below 40ºF. In zones 9 and higher, you can grow them outside all year, but in colder zones, bring them indoors before you hit the mid 40s temps in the fall.
Flowers – Sadly, each air plant will only bloom once in its lifetime. After flowering, the bloom will dry off. Trim off the entire flower stalk to help produce tillandsia pups. These pups are new plants that form at the base of the plant.
Most air plants will bloom eventually but they need the right light and growing conditions to do so. If you are lucky to get yours to flower, be sure to water regularly and fertilize at this time to encourage a long bloom time.
What a great little plant!
Where to purchase air plants
Check the garden center of both Lowe’s and Home Depot. I found my plant at a small local garden center. The Farmer’s market is also a great place to purchase air plants. My local Farmer’s Market has several sellers of them.. The plant is also available online:
- Shop Air plants from Auramore on Etsy
- Air plantson Amazon
- Purchase air plants at Air Plant Supply Co
- Tillandsia from Mountain Crest Garden
Be sure to check out my tips for buying succulents. This gives information on what to look for both locally and when buying online.
Display of Air Plants
Now that you know how to take care of them, what should you use for air plant holders to display them? That is what I love best about air plants. They are happily at home in so many ways. Think outside the box. So many items can be home to your tillandsias.
1. Bird cage planters. Bird cages make great locations for your air plants. You can add a few pieces of bark or some branches and they will be right at home.2. Driftwood. Air plants love to attach themselves to anything stationary. An artistic piece of drift wood, or part of a tree or some branches make the perfect display.
3. In baskets. There are some lovely tiered baskets available in most home decor shops. Air plants make a lovely display when they are just casually growing in a basket. It makes them easy to care for too! This double tiered basket makes a great home for them!
4. On Stones. It is not uncommon for air plants to find themselves attached to stone or rocks in the wild. Make use of their nature by artistically displaying it on some sliced agate, or other natural stone. It makes a work of art.
5. On Moss. Attach air plants to some sphagnum moss and tie to any upright. This gives the plant the air circulation that it loves and adds height to the display.
6. On upright posts. Tillandsia really does like an airy perch. Do you have uprights on a pergola, or on your patio? How about the slats on a porch railing? Tie bunches of air plants to them for a really decorative effect. This colorful version is Tillandsia “Victoria.”
Photo credit Wikimedia – Share Alike 3.0
7. In a pretty bowl. I love the way the starkness of this air plant compliments the bright and shiny bowl container. Any decorative bowl would do. Just use some moss inside to keep the air plant at the level that you want.8. On Wire. Place some wire around a ball of sphagnum moss and form it into any shape you like (I’d use a sphere and cover it with air plants! Just poke the air plant through the spaces of the wire and cover it for a really lovely hanging display.
Photo credit Wikimedia Creative Commons Share- Alike 3.0
9. In a terrarium. This is one of my favorite ways to display air plants. Our local farmer’s market has a stall which sells only these wonderful hanging terrarium displays with air plants in them. So pretty.
Photo credit – Wikimedia – Creative commons share alike 3.0
10. On wires. Since air plants do not need soil and can live in the air, attach some curled plastic coated heavy gauge wire against a colorful background and pop the tillandsia into the openings of the wire. It makes a very colorful and striking display.
11. In normal planters Air plants are normally quite small plants in the 2-4 inch size but given the right conditions and the variety, some can grow to be quite large. In a case like this, you can display them in any normal planter and place it where it will get the right growing conditions.
Have you grown air plants? How do you display ours? I’d love to see some photos of them. You can email them to me or upload them with a comment below, and I’ll include your photo in this article too.
If you would like a reminder of this post for growing air plants, just pin this image to one of your Pinterest Gardening Boards.
Admin note: This post for growing air plants first appeared on the blog in July of 2015. I have updated it with additional information, photos and a video for you to enjoy.
I agree with most of your care instructions but air plants do not need to be misted every day. A couple of times a week with a heavy mist or just run water over them at the sink is fine. They need to dry out after the watering in about four hours. As quick as possible.
I love your photo. I have a new post about containers for air plants. If you don’t mind, I’d love to add it to the post. (with a shout out to you, of course) You can see the post here. Thanks for the tip on watering. I didn’t realize it read that I suggested misting every day. I meant that more as an aside for really hot months. I have adjusted the wording slightly. Thanks! Carol
I love your post. I have been watering my Air Plants every other week by placing them in a bowl of water and they are doing fine. They seem to enjoy the neglect!
Thanks Michelle. They really are appealing little plants, aren’t they? Carol
Hello, maybe i can buy air plants from you?
I’m sorry, I don’t sell plants. Carol
Are air plants started from seed, spores, cuttings? I would like to go them and create gifts for a very large family…most have gotten past the age of gifts but this is perfect…can you tell me how I grow them myself? Thanks
Hi Deb. They do grow from seeds but it can take 2-4 years. Most of them are grown from offsets – called “pups” that develop near the main plant. This would mean that you would need a mature host plant (or several if you want a lot of pups) Carol
Hello! I bought the wood, not realizing that I need to attach the plant to the wood. The plant does not grow out of the wood, correct?
Thanks 🙂
Char
Hi Charlene. In nature, the plant attaches naturally to trees and other wooden supports. In our homes, we need to have a way to attach it somehow until it takes root. You could attach a small velcro dot to the wood and then the plant will stick to it, but come off easily when you need to water it. Carol
I am a big fan of them living in the UK. I used to use adhesive glue to stick them. Apply the adhesive to the base of a leaf but not directly to the underside and stick the plant in a crevice.
Hi Paul. I have also heard that they sell a special plant glue for this type of purpose.
I love all kinds of air plant espically colored plant.Thank u for the air plant guide.
I have a green thumb with other plants. Just bought a few inexpensive air plants to try. One had a bloom just finishing. Did not know they only bloom once. Oh well. I want to get more when can afford. Seems real easy to take care of. But will see. Thank you for all your info
My pleasure Debbie. I’m glad you enjoyed the article.
best way to take care of an air plant while I am on vacation. I do not have someone close by to water them. I live in a dry climate and they are indoors. Thank you
It depends on the length of vacation, but the best way is to thoroughly soak the air plant before you leave and it should take care of itself during your time away. Place the plant in indirect sunlight while you are gone so it doesn’t get too much light.
I found air plants and bought one now I have around 50 and am building a terrarium for my newest collection using driftwood this time. As for watering I soak mine in fish tank water about every 2 weeks and most them about 3 times a week with distilled water.I never glue them makes it had to water them and even harder to dry them. The larger plants especially good luck.
thank you thegardeningcook for giving me wonderful information