Down 2 Earth Creations

Air plants are known as epiphytes, plants that absorb what they need from the air through their leaves, not through their roots.

A Tillandsia is a Bromeliad, but not all Bromeliads are Tillandsias. Bromeliad is the family name. Tillandsia is the genus. Air plant is a common name for Tillandsias. Their flowering process is very colorful and some airplants turn pink, red or orange prior to blooming. Once the airplants bloom, they produce 1-8 offspring from the side of the mother, which can later be separated.

Tillandsia Care:

Lighting for Tillandsias should be bright but filtered (April - October). They should not be left in the direct sun in the summer months (this will cause the plant to become sunburned ). Tillandsias love indirect light (November - March). Tillandsias may be grown in the house directly in front of a window. Fresh moving air is advisable, but remember, the most important care need is bright filtered light.

Trees, overhangs and window tinting can rob your plants of needed light. Place plants no further then 10 feet in front of a bright window or skylight.

Full spectrum artificial light (fluorescent) is best. Plant should be no further than 36" from the fluorescent tubes and can be as close as 6". A four-tube 48" fixture works well. Bulbs can be any full spectrum type Gro-Lux, Repta-Sun, Vita-Lite, etc. Light should be set with a timer, 12 hours per day.

Thoroughly wet your Tillandsia 2-3 times per week; more often in a hot, dry environment; less often in a cool, humid one. Plants should be given enough light and air circulation to dry in no longer than 4 hours after watering. Spray misting is insufficient as the sole means of watering but may be beneficial between regular waterings in dry climates to increase the humidity. If the plant is in a container or mounted, be sure to empty the water out. Tillandsias will not survive in standing water.

Under-watering is evidenced by an exaggerating of the natural concave curve of each leaf.

Following each watering, Tillandsias should be given enough light and air circulation to dry in 4 hours or less. Do not keep plants constantly wet or moist.

Optimum temperature range for tillandsias is 50 - 90 degrees F with a 10 degree drop at night. Most will survive a light frost but will have some leaf damage, but should still produce pups for you. A frost for more than a few hours will kill your plant.

If your plant looses its color after blooming, this is natural, all its energy is now going into producing pups. If your plant (especially ionanthas) looses its color before blooming its not getting sufficient light, move to a lighter location. Tillandsias reproduce by offset "Pup" or by seed. Many send out pups from the base or between the leaves of the mother plant. In some plants it is not unusual to see 4 to 8 offsets appear before, during or after bloom. Young plants can be seperated from the mother when they reach 1/3 to 1/2 the mothers size. Reproduction by seed is very rewarding.

Each plant will only flower once. Once the flower has dried up it is suggested that you remove the old petals and cut off the flower stalk, as this promotes pupping. Most pups are produced one to two months after flowering. Once this begins you may notice the bottom leaves of your plant starting to hang loose and look dried out, as if they are dying. Do not be tempted to pull these leaves off (trimming the dried leaves only) this is where your pup is starting, and if you pull the leaves off, you may pull the pup off by mistake. Initially they are so tiny and you may not be able to see them for several weeks or months depending on the species.

Most people prefer not to remove pups because most plants look more impressive as a clump or cluster. If you leave your plant to clump just remove the leaves of the mother plant as she starts to dry up, just pull the leaves out with a gentle sideways tug, if the leaf resists, its not dead yet, so just trim any dried areas instead. Once you've fully removed the mother plant, the gap that's left will quickly be filled in by the other plants growing & spreading. If you decide to remove the pups, wait until they are at least 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the mother plant, they will be able to survive on their own at this size. Hold both mother and pup at their bases and gently twist in a downward motion, the pups come off easily. If you have a particularly tough mother you may need to remove the pup by cutting downward as close to the mother as possible, there are very few species that need more than a gently tug/twist. Do not discard the mother plant yet, as long as she is still alive she will continue to produce more pups for you.

Enjoy your air plant!