| Air plants | Information |
|---|---|
| Common name | air plants |
| Botanical name | Tillandsia |
| Family | Bromeliaceae |
| Type | Epiphytes or lithophytes |
| Main season | Spring or summer |
| Height | 10 to 40cm |
| Width | 10 to 40cm |
| Aspect | Bright, indirect light |
| Moisture level | Humid |
| Hardiness | H1C |
| Difficulty | Average to difficult |
Air plants (Tillandsia) are enchanting epiphytes that earn their name by being capable of growing without soil. In their native habitat of Central and South America, they cling to trees, cliffs, roofs, and telephone wires with their roots and absorb nutrients from the air. Their grey-green foliage is coated in a silvery frosting of water-absorbing hairs called trichomes; these are capable of taking moisture from the atmosphere, especially in rainy or misty conditions.
As indoor plants in the UK, they can be grown on or in various decorative objects and cylinders: the most popular being driftwood, shells, and glass vessels, in humid rooms, such as kitchens and bathrooms. Their foliage is pretty by itself, but – once mature – they also produce stunning colourful flowers (usually bright pink and purple). After flowering, the plant dies, but it will leave behind baby plants - sometimes several - that it has reared in the meantime, slowly expanding your collection of these weird and wonderful low-maintenance plants.
Where to position air plants
Hailing from the tropics, Tillandsia have a lust for humidity and therefore do well in kitchens and bathrooms, well away from drying radiators. They do best in bright, indirect light that mimics the dappled light that many of them thrive in in the wild: for instance an east-facing or west-facing windowsill. Cold draughts can damage them, but they appreciate good air flow.
How to display air plants
Slot them into the top of ornate bud vases, shells, jars, glass globes, or wall terrariums. As well as looking attractive, such a vessel will collect moisture, thus providing the plants with the humidity they crave. If possible, the container could be a quarter-filled with water to further boost humidity levels and in turn growth.
Can you grow air plants on driftwood?
Tillandsia are often seen for sale attached to pieces of driftwood. As epiphytes (tree-clinging specimens), air plants are ideal for driftwood, but if it comes from the beach, the salt must be removed beforehand: this can be done by placing the log in just boiled or boiling water briefly or scrubbing it with soap, before leaving it in fresh water for a month (for example in a tank or in a bath, if you have the luxury of a spare bathroom). Because the plants need to be removed regularly for watering, it's easiest to slot them into the cracks, splits, and elbows of the driftwood; alternatively, drill holes into the wood. The plants can be lifted out for watering, or you could glue the plants in place and water them in situ.
How often should you water air plants?
Frequency of watering depends on how much humidity the plant is exposed to. Plants kept in low to average humidity require soaking for 10 to 30 minutes once a week in a bowl of tepid water; if you don’t have time to do this or if the plants are kept in a high-humidity environment, simply dipping them in the water is sufficient. Ideally, use rainwater, filtered water, or bottled (but not distilled) water; otherwise, sit tap water out for a few hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate. If the room is warm and not humid, they may require bathing twice or thrice a week in summer. If in bloom, try to avoid soaking the flowers. After soaking, gently shake the plants upside down to release water droplets (you could also hang or sit the plants upside down for a few minutes, so that all the water drains away) – this prevents rotting. Misting plants in between immersions also helps to boost the humidity that allows them to thrive.
Do you need to feed air plants?
Yes, feed regularly during the growing season. The easiest method is to spritz them with a fertiliser mist for bromeliads. Alternatively, a liquid fertiliser for bromeliads could be added to the water during watering once or twice a month.
Do air plants need to be grown in soil or water?
No – the majority extract all they need from the air. The exception is Tillandsia cyanea from Peru and Ecuador, which throws up a bright-pink quill with purple flowers above a fountain of green leaves. It is sold in little pots of soil; despite this, it doesn’t like too much watering and won’t need regular repotting. Place it in a heavy container to stop it toppling over.
What do you do with baby air plants?
The babies (or ‘pups’) that a mature air plant leaves behind before it dies can be removed from the mother plant, if need be, once they are about a third of the size of the mother. Either twist and snap them off or use sharp scissors.
What are the best air plants for beginners?
Tillandsia argentea is a small species with spidery green-grey slender leaves. Tillandsia caput-medusae (Medusa's head) is a similar size with lovely wavy foliage reminiscent of an octopus. Grow them alongside the chunkier Tillandsia xerographica, from Mexico and Central America, which is known as the king of air plants and produces recurving strappy leaves that look like bundles of tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta. Entirely different, Tillandsia usneoides is a gorgeous hanging air plant that tumbles in lengths of downy foliage, like a mane of green-silver hair.
Four other epiphytes for bathrooms
An epiphyte is a plant that grows on trees. Capable of thriving with minimal soil in moist subtropical and tropical forests, they are low-maintenance houseplants that relish the humid air of a kitchen or bathroom.
*Staghorn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum AGM) - Characterful and easy to grow in low to medium indirect light, the leaves of this distinctive fern resemble antlers.
*Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) - Blooming over a long period in winter, then re-flowering on and off throughout the year, this is the easiest indoor orchid to grow.
*Beautiful wax plant (Hoya lanceolata subsp. bella AGM) - Producing a waterfall of fleshy green leaves, as well as summer flowers, this is stunning in a hanging pot.
*Bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus) - Forming a shuttlecock of long apple-green leaves, this is a superb plant for injecting colour into a north or east-facing bathroom.
