The most common queries that air plant owners and potential owners have about their plants are listed below. Please post any further questions you may have about air plants in the comment area below.
Do Air Plants Purify Air?
Air plants are less successful in air filtration than other plants, although they do remove carbon dioxide and some trace chemical pollutants. However, some research imply that they may be useful in clearing the air of pollutants like mercury.
Do Air Plants Grow Bigger?
Depending on the species, your air plant will reach its full size if it is a pup (baby air plant). As was previously mentioned, air plants may grow from two inches to seven feet tall, so do some research on the kind you choose to learn more about how big it will get. An air plant that you purchase at a market is probably fully developed.
Do Tillandsia Die After Flowering?
Unfortunately, most air plant kinds that bloom are elderly and will soon pass away. On the plus side, air plants produce tiny pups before they die that will eventually reach the size of their parents.
Why Do My Air Plants Keep Dying?
The most frequent factor that causes air plants to die is overwatering. They are very susceptible to root rot, which will destroy them, if they are overwatered. Make sure your air plants dry off within three hours of watering to prevent root rot. Underwatering is the second most typical reason, which the plant can generally overcome. See our suggestions below to rejuvenate a dry plant.
How Do You Revive an Air Plant?
Give your plant an extra bath and then continue your regular watering schedule if you notice that you’ve only slightly under-watered it (for example, if the tips of your plant are turning brown or feeling a little dry). The steps listed below can be used to revitalize a brown or very dry plant:
Place the plant and water container in a room with plenty of light and a temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (1823C).
Repeat the procedure if the plant continues to wilt three days after being soaked, but this time soak it for just three to four hours.
Air plants are wonderful additions to your plant collection and can make wonderful presents for friends who also enjoy plants. Cute air plant jewelry can be made from the tiniest ones. Ingenious crafts like air plant string art and do-it-yourself terrariums may also be made using air plants. Have you thought of a unique way to use your air plant? Tell us in the comments section below!
How can I grow my air plants?
You’ve had your air plant for a few months, but despite your tender care and attention, it seems to be doing nothing. What is happening? How quickly do air plants actually grow? Don’t give up just yet; air plants called tillandsias actually grow quite slowly. They will eventually grow and blossom if given the right care; it just takes time!
Although certain species of Tillandsia grow more quickly than others, on the whole, they grow quite slowly, which makes them all the more unique when you have a huge specimen plant to exhibit! The growth rate of an air plant will also vary depending on whether it is a tillandsia seedling or an offset from propagation. The first two years of a seedling’s existence are spent growing slowly, rarely exceeding one inch in size. After the first few years, they begin to grow slightly more quickly as they reach bigger in size. Even though plants grown from seeds grow more slowly, they often are larger and better specimens than plants grown from offsets. In comparison to plants grown from seeds, plants developed from offsets or “propagation” grow far more quickly and typically blossom within the first few years as the cycle continues and they create offset of their own!
It can take a long time for the Tillandsia fasciculata tropiflora to reach this size.
Consider the locations where your species of air plant grows in the wild when caring for your air plants. Does the species come from a dry, arid desert with little water (xeric), a cloud forest at a high elevation, or a humid, rainy rainforest (mesic)? Due to the changes in climate, plants located in these particular climates will exhibit particular features and grow accordingly. Plants may develop more slowly in dry climates than in more humid, moisture-rich conditions.
Look at our blog entry (Mesic Vs. Xeric Air Plants) for more information on the distinctions between mesic and xeric plants, as well as what conditions each will require in terms of water and light.
Your ability to accurately recreate the plant’s natural environment will have a significant impact on how quickly it grows. Patience is essential because it might take years for a small air plant to develop and blossom. Although it’s not an exact science, your plant can surprise you and grow and blossom more quickly than usual!
If your plant hasn’t produced pups or offsets yet, don’t worry; it might just be a slower-growing plant. Most air plants will produce pups or offsets during the first year of their existence, after blooming. Just keep giving your plant the attention it needs and making sure it gets enough water and light.
This puppy is developing slowly. It can take a long time for T. xerographica to reach maturity.
T. xerographica is one of the Tillandsia species that grows slowlyest; it can take years for it to reach a size where it can bloom and produce pups. Small T. xerographica plants, which have a diameter of 4-5 inches, may be 3-5 years old! The T. capitata and T. harrisii are two other slow-growing plants that get rather big.
These large-growing Tillandsia plants, which are all slow-growing (top to bottom, left to right): T. harrisii, T. xerographica, T. xerographica in bud, and T. capitata
The T. ionantha variant, T. stricta, T. aeranthos, and T. brachycaulos are some of the air plants with the fastest growth rates. These plants are all categorized as mesic varieties, which implies they prefer more water and filtered indirect light.
These Tillandsia species that develop more quickly bloom and produce pups than other species. (From top to bottom, left to right) T. ionantha, T. stricta, T. brachycaulos, and T. aeranthos
In addition to routine watering, you can give your plants a boost by fertilizing them once a month. This will promote quicker growth, blooming, and pup production. To encourage the growth of your air plant, check out and buy our specially designed Tillandsia fertilizer!
Be patient with your plants; they will grow best with the right amount of light, water, and airflow. When the seasons change, such in the summer or winter, you need alter your care routine. You should have a healthy air plant that eventually blooms and gives birth to pups! You could even manage to cultivate a sizable specimen air plant!
Tillandsia air plants grow to what size?
Large bulbous bases can measure anywhere from 2 to an incredible 9 inches in circumference and 18 inches in height when a Tillandsia Bulbosa has fully developed. Their 8 to 10 inch-long, narrow, curled-up leaves can spread.
Do air plants continue to grow?
When cultivated from seed, air plants grow slowly, only gaining less than an inch in height in the first two years. They only bloom once, but they can continue to produce offsets (pups) for many years after that. You can either propagate the pups to produce new plants or allow those to continue growing in clumps indefinitely to grow a giant air plant specimen.
How much time do air plants last?
The growth rates of the various categories of air plants will have a considerable impact on how long your tillandsias live.
Xeric tillandsias, or the silvery-fuzzy varieties, are native to hot climates. They don’t need as much watering as mesic tillandsias, and they can withstand more intense lighting for longer periods of time.
Since mesic tillandsias (the greener varieties) are native to humid climates, they require more frequent and deeper waterings. Additionally, they naturally conceal themselves in the trees to avoid direct sunlight (but still lots of bright light).
It can be shown from a comparison of the two types of tillandsias that xeric air plants grow significantly more slowly than mesic ones. The air plant will take longer to mature, blossom, and generate pups if it grows more slowly.
Lifespan factor #2: Propagation method
The longevity of your air plant will vary depending on how it was propagated. Generally speaking, it contributes to the entire lives. Since growing from seed requires more time than growing from pups, pan.
It will take your air plant about two to three years to mature into a small plant if you start with seeds. It will take another 3-5 years to mature after that. If you start from seed, growth will be extremely sluggish during the first several years.
However, if it has had time to develop stronger, your plant may live longer than those that are cultivated from pups. Not always, but generally speaking, air plants developed from seeds will be more robust and healthy.
A new air plant will mature more faster if you start the growth of one from an offset. Typically, that is how your air plant was propagated whether you purchased it locally or ordered it online. It’s simpler and more practical. A mature offset will take two to three years to reach, bloom, generate new pups, and then die.
See this page for extra advice if the air plant you have doesn’t seem to be growing.
Air plant lifespan factor #3: Level of care
One of the key determinants of how long an air plant will last is how well you take care of it. Your air plant might not survive more than a few months if it receives poor care.
Keeping air plants in damp environments or overwatering them are two things that can lead to their mortality. In this situation, air plants don’t exhibit many or any symptoms for a while. When you pick them up or decide to water them again, however, they abruptly start to come apart.
Air exchange and lighting are also essential for air plants. Don’t store them in terrariums with lids. You still need to properly air the space even if you keep them in open displays.
A few times a week, taking the plant outside will be quite useful. Your plant needs a lot of indirect, bright light to survive and flourish.
Make sure to bring your air plant indoors when the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius). You need to water your air plant more frequently in the heat.
Lifespan #4: Nutrients and fertilization
Unbelievably, tillandsias in the wild receive nutrients from a variety of sources nearby. They take up nutrients from decomposing materials, withering leaves, airborne organic detritus, and even animal waste. Your indoor air plants can’t obtain those nutrients at home, therefore they don’t get them.
Although fertilizing your air plants is not essential, doing so will increase their longevity by months or even years. You can use a variety of fertilizers, including this spray, which needs to be applied once a week. Following product directions is essential since excessive fertilization might burn your plants to death.
Boron and zinc fertilizers should never be purchased as tillandsias are poisoned by them. Additionally, fertilizer needs to be water soluble so that your air plant’s trichomes on its leaves can absorb it.
Additionally, since bacteria in the soil are required to convert urea into useable nitrogen for plants, fertilizer must be urea-free. Due to a lack of soil, your air plants cannot perform this. Your plant will suffer early plant damage if you use those fertilizers.
How long do air plant blooms last?
Blooms on air plants can persist anywhere between a few days and 2-4 weeks. However, the blossoms of certain larger air plants, such t.xerographica, can continue up to a year.
Make sure not to soak or water your air plant at all if you want the bloom to persist longer. Because the bloom of an air plant cannot absorb water, watering it will cause it to wilt quickly.
Tillandsias only have one blossom in their lifetime, after which they produce pups and pass away. It usually blooms between one and two years after you get it, but this can vary.
I appreciate you reading this. Please visit this resource page to learn more about caring for air plants.
Do all air plants produce young?
How exciting to know that your wonderful Tillandsia will eventually create their own air plant offspring! The name puppies, which is a term of endearment for these “baby” air plants, is just the cutest thing ever.
Did you know that raising puppies is the preferred method for air plant enthusiasts to expand their plant collections? Yes, air plant enthusiasts worldwide can grow their very own puppy nursery. Additionally, puppies always grow into their mother plant’s traits.
In the correct circumstances, all Tillandsia species will give birth to pups in a relatively short period of time. Knowing what to look for—nodes at the mother plant’s base—and when/how to separate the pups from the mother plant are all that are required. It’s also crucial to make sure that the mother plant and the pups receive enough sunlight and water continuously.
Pups should start to grow soon after your plants’ first bloom cycle. Typically, your Tillandsia won’t produce its first bloom for up to six months. It’s important to keep in mind that some air plant species may require several years to blossom.
The magic starts to happen once your plants have blossomed. Small nodes can be seen at the base of your plant. This indicates that the young plants have begun to appear!
It’s critical that you continue to care for the mother plant as usual during this period. But always remember to treat the puppies with care. As they begin their life’s adventure, they might be rather fragile.
Once the puppies are about a fifth the size of their mother plant, you must divide them.
Laying the mother plant carefully on its side will allow you to clip away the pups with a sharp kitchen knife or good pair of garden sheers. After finishing this procedure, you are ready to launch your very own air plant farm!
You should give the cut-off point on the mother plant and the pup a few days to harden off.
Your plants will begin to recover from their separation at this time. They might have developed a distinctive (lopsided) morphology when they were growing alongside their mother. Your pup’s shape and size will begin to become more uniform during the next few months. As they are still fairly sensitive, wait to feed the pup plant food until they have been apart for at least three months. Throughout the duration, continue to water as usual.
The longevity and simplicity of growing air plants are two of its best qualities. They only require a little sunlight and water every so often; they don’t require soil. And as you’ve seen, raising your air plant pups is also very easy. You’ll soon see a handful of puppies arrive with a little TLC!
See for yourself how lovely air plants may be by looking at our collection of them and their young.