Top 5 things to know about Air Plants
We have a full section dedicated to air plants at Craft Loft and they just about make the perfect companion to some very fun craft projects. The most common questions we get are ... What's an air plant? Do I have to water it? Is it pet safe?
So, this blog is dedicated to the topic of air plants and some fun ways to display them!
1. What's an Air Plant?
'Air plant' is a common name for plants that don't grow in soil or rely on conventional root systems for their nutrients. Scientifically, many plants considered to be air plants are part of the Tillandsia or Bromeliad species. Most air plants have roots for anchoring purposes only and grow tiny little hairs on their leaves that do all the work of absorbing nutrients.
Air plants' natural habitat are the tropics where rain fall is expected almost daily and ambient humidity is quite high. They usually get lodged and thrive between tree branches. They get moisture from rain fall and light fertilizer from foliage and bird debris that gets washed down the tree branches.
Air plants are not parasites, but simply anchor themselves on the tree bark and 'borrow' the height of the trees to reach favorable lighting conditions. They range in many different sizes and they do indeed, bloom very beautifully!
2. Do I have to water it since it gets water from the air?
In typical homes, the humidity (and rainfall, haha) is not anywhere near the level needed by the plant. To compensate for that, we recommend watering an air plant by submerging it in a bowl full of room temp water once per week for 20-30 minutes and fertilize with a diluted liquid fertilizer once or twice a month.
3. Can I water the air plant by misting it?
We actually do not recommend misting as the sole method to water your plant. The main reason is that mist evaporates too quickly for the air plant to absorb and you would need to mist very frequently (like once every 10-15min) in order to supply enough humidity. If you have something like a terrarium or enclosed vivarium with high humidity and raise pets like tree frogs, then your air plant is likely going to be happy with the level of humidity in there.
4. How much light does an air plant need?
Air plants love dappled sunlight as that's basically what they receive in nature. In a home environment, this equates to bright indirect light or East facing window. If the temps are higher, you can adjust watering schedule to be more frequent. We don't recommend full sun as that can easily burn the leaves. If you have access to outdoor space, air plants love a 'summer vacation' being tucked amongst branches in your backyard and getting rained on by Mother Nature.
5. Are air plants pet safe?
Yes! Air plants are perfectly find for your pets to nibble on, although they're not super fast growers, so for your plants' health, we recommend keeping them away from curious paws and jaws.
4 Fun ways to display air plants!
Because air plants are not attached to a pot of soil, they are fun to play with in terms of creative ways for display! Here are some of our favorites:
Modern - mini-cement cube with a wire or geometric metal shapes as hangers
Natural - on top of a piece of drift wood, rock or sea shell
Whimsical - Hair planter or a hanging jelly fish, anyone?
Cozy - Macrame air plant pod! You can also learn to make your own at our macrame air plant pod workshop. Check here for upcoming schedule.
