Air Plants Displays
Air plants grow without soil, which makes them easy to display on driftwood, shells or a wall lattice. They need bright, indirect light and a soak about once a week, then a few hours upside down to dry. That is all. An air plant display makes a living accent for a desk or a bathroom shelf, and an easy gift for someone new to plants.
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Why choose air plant displays
An air plant display is a live plant that grows on a piece of wood, a shell or a lattice instead of in a pot. That makes it light, tidy and easy to place on a desk or a wall. It is still a living plant, though. The rows cover how these differ from faux air plants, which display suits which spot and the simple routine that keeps one alive.
Real air plants, not faux ones
Faux air plants are plastic copies, and they never need water. Ours are live Tillandsia. They take in water through their leaves, and over time a healthy plant blooms and grows offsets called pups. You can separate a pup once it is about a third of the mother's size.
The trade is a weekly soak. If the display is for someone who will never pick it up, a faux plant may suit them better. If they will, the real one keeps changing.
Driftwood with air plants
Driftwood is the classic mount. Our two-plant piece sits on natural beach driftwood, so no two pieces match. Put it on a desk, a bookshelf or a bathroom shelf with a bright window.
For a smaller spot, a single air plant on a wood block or a pair on coral rock does the same job. Butzii, on the coral rock, wants a little more moisture and less light than most air plants.
An air plant wall display
For a wall of air plants, the white lattice display holds several plants on an 18 × 16 inch frame. It looks at home in a kitchen, a home office or a bathroom with a window.
Short on shelf space? Hang one. The sea urchin shells and the wooden orb hang from a hook, with the plant tucked underneath. Keep any of them a few feet back from a sunny window, in bright light but out of direct sun.
How to display an air plant
Give it bright, indirect light, such as near an east or west window, and some air movement. It never goes in soil.
Soak it about once a week in warm, bright months and every two weeks when it is cooler. Let tap water stand overnight first. Then shake it out and dry it upside down for at least four hours before it goes back on its mount, because water trapped in the leaves rots the plant. Keep nights above 55°F. How to keep an air plant alive has the full routine.
Questions about Air Plant Displays
How do I water an air plant?
Soak it in water about once a week, or every two weeks in cooler, darker months. Shake it out and let it dry upside down for at least four hours before it goes back on its mount. Never put it in soil.
How long do air plants live?
Years, as a clump. Each air plant blooms once, and the mother plant then dies, but first it grows offsets called pups. You can separate a pup once it is about a third of the mother’s size.
Where should I put an air plant display?
In bright, indirect light, such as near an east or west window, but out of direct sun. Keep it somewhere with some air movement and nights above 55°F.
How do I know my air plant needs more water?
It shows. The leaves curl or roll, the color dulls and the tips turn brown. Soak it for longer or more often, and let tap water stand overnight first, because chlorine can also brown the tips.
Can I mist an air plant instead of soaking it?
Sources disagree, so the soak is the safer habit. Some extension services accept a thorough misting every other day in a dry home; others say misting alone does not keep the plant hydrated. Plant food is optional: a bromeliad fertilizer at a quarter strength about once a month is enough.
Can an air plant live outside?
Yes, while nights stay above 55°F, in bright light out of direct sun. Air plants are native to zone 9 and warmer, so bring them indoors before nights drop toward freezing.
