Air plants don’t require soil, making them readily displayed in various creative ways. You could attach magnets, string them onto driftwood using a translucent fishing line, or display them inside a glass globe.
Odonata species that receive water through the air still need regular misting and bright lighting to thrive. When ready, these flowers bloom into pups you can separate and propagate yourself.
Flowering
Air plants that produce flowers come in all sorts of shapes and colors. From single blossoms on stems to an abundance of blossoms like those seen on Tillandsia brachycaulos with its purple-red blooms poking through clustered bracts at its core; or perhaps you prefer something more peculiar like T. funckiana with long tubular flowers emerging from its narrow leaves – they all produce stunning results!
Air plants in bloom take a brief respite from producing new leaves to focus their energy on making stunning blooms, lasting anywhere from days to several months, depending on the species. Once all their flower production has been completed, their mother plant will start producing pups (baby plants) that you can separate and nurture as new air plants.
If your air plant has begun blooming, place it in a bright place out of direct sunlight and keep it well-watered – be sure to let the plant dry entirely after watering sessions. Also, fertilize every two months using epiphytic/bromeliad/non-urea nitrogen fertilizers available at garden centers and online; use only those made specifically for air plants, as the soil can cause root rot.
Pups
Air plants that flower produce pups that can be separated and grown into new plants to maintain the cycle. Dogs need their mother for nutrition until they reach one-third to one-half the size of their parent plant; at this point, they will begin drawing nutrients independently. Leaving pups attached creates beautiful Tillandsia clusters, which many air plant enthusiasts display (e.g., Tillandsia ionantha ‘Druid’ cultivar).
After their blooms fade, plants produce tiny offshoots, which can be separated and grown into new air plants to continue the cycle. Furthermore, pups also help anchor mother plants on various surfaces they grow upon, making them great additions to any decor!
Tillandsia ionantha air plants, for instance, can produce red or violet flowers similar to tropical orchids – though most prefer more subdued white or gray hues. Still unique and easy to care for!
Air plants (Tillandsia) are epiphytes (meaning they live suspended off other plants) and nourish non-parasitically through trichomes that gather raindrops, dewdrops, dust particles, or decayed organic material. While roots may sometimes anchor themselves onto rocks or surfaces for balance and support purposes, their primary function is only for balance and balance purposes. Though air plants don’t require too much soil to thrive – just bright indirect lighting! Plus, they require frequent watering depending on the variety type.
Drying
Air plants like Spanish moss, bromeliads, and orchids are epiphytes, meaning they thrive without soil. Instead, they draw moisture and nutrition from the air via roots anchored onto host plants – not for growth per se, but more to create balance or attach plants to decorative surfaces such as rocks, driftwood, or glass globes/terrariums.
Flowering is the pinnacle of life for an air plant, as its resources go toward blooming. Therefore, your air plants must continue receiving adequate water and nutrition, even though most of their resources are dedicated to blooming. Furthermore, misting or dunking them more frequently and adding extra liquid fertilizer will allow your air plants to focus their resources on producing pups rather than flowering too often.
Once the flowers have faded and the mother plant has stopped flowering, it is beneficial to clip off its blooms with scissors to encourage it to start producing pups that can later be separated and transplanted into new air plants. Dogs should be allowed to develop until they reach one-third to half the size of their mother before being divorced from their parent and separated as air plants.
Reproduction
Air plants produce pups – mini clones of their mother plants had asexually after flowering. Dogs typically appear near the base of their parent, although sometimes in other spots like rings or on stem tips. As these pups are non-pollinating, pollination is no longer needed to develop and flourish; typically, one or three dogs will be produced per mother plant.
After blooming, a mother air plant will continue supporting its pups until she has exhausted herself and died – this is because her energy had already been diverted toward creating flowers; therefore, she must conserve as much power for future pups as possible.
Airplant flowers are truly captivating! Depending on the species, their blossoms range in hue from soft pink (Tillandsia tectorum) through red or purple to yellow and even white shades (Tillandsia funckiana and others), yellow, or even white (Tillandsia butzii). All flowers bloom on an inflorescence stem, including its protective bract and blooms arranged together on its stem.
Air plants make for beautiful displays, whether alone, in groups, or as creative displays such as terrariums or magnetic or driftwood attachments using translucent fishing lines. Ensure your air plants get plenty of circulation to avoid disease and rot forming!
