Congratulations, new airplant owner!

You now have in your possession one of the most unique plants in the world. Tillandsias are members of the Pineapple family and native it Latin America. They grown without soil and use their wire-like roots to anchor to just about anything (commonly rocks or trees). All Tillandsias bloom, and then produce off-shoots that can be divided or left to form a clump.

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR A HAPPY PLANT

LIGHT Place in bright INDIRECT filtered sunlight, within 6 feet of a window. Tillandsias will burn if placed in direct sunlight in late spring, summer, or early fall.

WATER Airplants take in all of their nutrients through their leaves. Thoroughly soak your plant every one to two weeks – either in a bowl of water or held under a running faucet- 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 (they will not survive in standing water – they will rot). Spray misting is insufficient as the sole means of watering but may be beneficial between regular waterings in dry climates to increase the humidity. For this reason, airplants LOVE the bathroom. Under-watering is evidenced by an exaggeration of the natural concave curve of each leaf.

TEMPERATURE Airplants will tolerate between 45 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

LIFE CYCLE / BLOOMING CYCLE All airplants bloom – how often depends on the plant and environment. You will know when your airplant is about to bloom by a sudden deepening / saturating of color in the leaves (fading and/or changing of color is normal). Once the bloom dies, the plant will product an off-shoot at its base. You can choose to let the plant grow as it is (and as it grows in nature) or divide the clump to have two or more small plants. To divide, simply spread open the clump to see where the plants are attached and pull apart. View step by step photo instruction here.

GROOMING & MAINTENANCE Some tillandsias’ lower leaves die back when they are acclimating to a new environment – this is normal.  These unsightly leaves can easily be removed. Firmly grab hold of the dead leaves and strip them downwards towards the base. Then with scissors clip off brown tips using a diagonal cut. Long roots can also be trimmed to better fit the plant into a container. View photo instructions.

More questions? Worried about a plant you purchased from us? Feel free to email, we’ll do our best to answer your questions.