Tillandsia - Epiphyte 'Air Plant'
Common name: Air plant
Scientific name: Tillandsia sp.
Description: evergreen perennials with varying shapes of leaves, but most often are long, spine-like and have a fuzzy appearance caused by a coating of specialised cells call trichomes. These cells help the plant absorb water and nutrients from the air, giving these plants their name. Air plants can be found in both dry and humid environments, making them extremely versatile and hardy as vivarium plants. These can be attached to branches, logs and stones in desert and rainforest set-ups to either create ground cover or replicate an arboreal habitat. Each plant will flower once within its lifetime and die back, leaving behind many flowers that will become ‘pups’, which will grow into whole new air plants! Air plants should be soaked 2-3 times per week in the evening with filtered water, but this can be adjusted to suit the plants environment; more often in a hot, dry environment and less often in a cooler, humid one. Ensure the plant can dry within 3 hours after being watered for sufficient water uptake and never leave the plant submerged in water or soil, as this will just rot the plant. In general, if each leaf is looking more concave and sunken in appearance, then it is a good time to water your air plant. We highly suggest pairing air plants with desert and tropical tarantula species, mantids and beetles.
Place of origin: Central America, South America
Type: evergreen epiphyte
Habitat: variable
Humidity: tolerates a range in humidity
Lighting: bright, indirect light
Temperature: tolerates a range, 10-30˚C
Watering: variable
Soil: N/A
Growth rate: slow
Please note: live plants may vary in size and colour to the ones pictured here.
