Air plants (tillandsias) are amazingly versatile and are a great conversation piece! In their natural habitat of Central and South America, air plants grow on the trunks of trees, and get all the moisture they need through their foliage from the humidity in the air. They belong to a special family of plants called epiphytes, which are plants that grow on other plants in a non-parasitic way, only using the host plant for support. Most orchids, bromeliads and even some types of ferns are epiphytes too. I have even seen air plants growing naturally in Florida, quite a fascinating thing to see! But you don’t have to travel some tropical destination, air plants do quite well in an indoor setting as well. Air plants prefer bright, filtered light and to be misted several times a week. I like to completely submerge mine in water once a week to give them a nice, good soaking.

 

There are many decorative accents that can be added to jazz up your air plants. Here some of our favorites which include assorted mosses, lichen, stones and star anise. Found objects such as acorns, pods, branches and pine cones are especially fun to look for with children! I love walking in the woods and coming across and interesting lichen encrusted branch or interesting seed pod like the one in the included picture from the sweet gum tree to add to my air plant display. They display well in any kind of glass vessel, decorative plate, even on a piece of driftwood or other found object.

 

If you don’t have one already, stop in and pick out some air plants for yourself and a friend. We have many varieties to choose from and they are super easy to grow!