Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Air plants trend for 2023
Last week I talked about the latest popular plants including Strings of plants and succulents and cacti, so great for the office.
Air Plants have been trending for a while and remain very popular in 2023.
Their Latin name is Tillandsia and they are native to South and Central America with about 500 species!
Do they really grow with no soil? Yes, they are epiphytes, meaning they grow on other plants, usually tree branches but they’re not a parasite.
They take in nutrients through their leaves from the air and occasional rainfall. They have tiny hair-like parts on their leaves that allow them to absorb water.
- Their roots, such as they are, are used to anchor the plant to a surface.
- They prefer bright, indirect light.
- As for watering, soak your air plant for about an hour a week. Remove and let “drain” on a paper towel till dry, then put it back in its place.
At maturity, Air plants will bloom, just once in their lifetime, generally speaking.
Some air plants have blooms called an inflorescence or bloom spike that can last for months, while others have short lived blooms that only last a couple of days. Some have one delicate flower, while others have multiple flowers that come from one bloom.
While they may bloom just once, the “pups” come next, baby plants that can gently be removed and are new plants. Keep in mind, the mother plant will send all her nutrients to the pups, eventually she’ll begin to die but you’ve got plenty to continue with.
Air plants can be displayed in so many ways that your imagination can go wild.
Airplant Man offers some truly amazing designs with air plants. The link is safe! Take a peek.
Here’s more from Airplants.com including more on their care. Something to remember is they DO need air circulation. So no terrariums for these guys.
