Air plants (tillandsia)

About Air plants (tillandsia)

Air plants are small bromeliads that perch on trees, rocks and even power lines from the southern United States through Mexico and South America, taking in water and nutrients through silvery scales on their leaves rather than through their few wiry roots (NC State, UF/IFAS). They grow without soil, mounted on wood, cork or shells or set in a dish, and need regular soaking or misting. Florida has its own natives, including Spanish moss and ball moss, and UF/IFAS asks gardeners never to collect air plants from the wild, where collecting already threatens them.

The Extension pages we opened give no hardiness range; air plants are grown indoors everywhere and can summer outdoors in light shade while nights stay above about 50 F, coming in before fall nights dip toward 45-50 F (UMN Extension's general cutoff for tender houseplants). UF/IFAS says to check a species against your zone before growing it outdoors year-round.

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Usually bought as a nursery-grown plant, never collected from the wild; new plants come from the pups that form after the mother plant blooms (UF/IFAS, NC State).

Growing it indoors

• Light: Bright light near a south, east or west window, out of direct sun (UF/IFAS); NC State adds that most species need high light to flower and that LED grow lights can make up the difference.
• Water: Water at least once a week by soaking the whole plant in a bowl of water or rinsing it under the shower (NC State), or by misting until water runs off (UF/IFAS), then let it dry out before the next watering. Leaves that curl or roll inward mean it is thirsty, and a mount that holds water invites rot.
• Temperature: The pages we opened give no temperature range; treat it like other tender houseplants and keep it out of cold window drafts (Wisconsin).
• Feeding: The pages we opened give no feeding schedule; air plants take what they need from air and water through their leaf scales (UF/IFAS, NC State).
• Repotting: No repotting: if it comes loose, reattach it to its mount with wire, liquid nails or slightly cooled hot glue (UF/IFAS).

Soil

None: air plants grow without soil, mounted on driftwood, cork, bark or shells or resting on dry pebbles in a dish, and whatever they sit on must not hold water (UF/IFAS, NC State).

No soil: mount it on driftwood, cork, bark or shells, or set it on dry pebbles in a dish, using a surface that doesn't hold water (UF/IFAS, NC State).

Feeding

The pages we opened give no feeding schedule; air plants take nutrients from air and water through their leaf scales, so focus on light and regular soaking (UF/IFAS, NC State).

Varieties (3)

Air plants are sold by species rather than cultivar; NC State names 3 popular species, listed here as groups.

Pests to watch for

Mealybugs, Scale insects

Diseases and problems

Crown rot

In the kitchen

Safety: None of the pages we opened list air plants as poisonous or give a toxicity rating. Wild air plants are threatened by collecting and by the invasive Mexican bromeliad weevil, so buy nursery-grown plants (UF/IFAS).

Pets: Not listed by the ASPCA under air plant or Tillandsia; NC State gives no toxicity rating.