By Emma Kidger
Found in jungles, mountain tops, and deserts, air plants are fit for most humid environments and the perfect choice for anyone interested in low maintenance plants. Without soil and with minimal water, air plants can grow just about anywhere but grow best near sunlight or in humid areas of your house or garden. There are about 650 species of the Tillandsias (what plant experts call the Air Plant) in the Bromeliaceae family. While you’ve probably never heard of the Bromeliaceae family of plants, you have heard of the pineapple, which belongs to the same family, making air plants and pineapples cousins!
Air plants have small hairs called trichomes which allow them to survive just through moisture by collecting nutrients from the air. While most plants photosynthesize during the day, air plants use CAM photosynthesis which means they photosynthesize or “breathe” at night. Due to their ability to grow without soil, air plants are able to grow off other surfaces, especially other plants which makes them Epiphytes. Air plants that grow on rocks or in sand are called Lithophytes. If you want to keep an air plant of your own at home, you can place them in a cool glass ceramic near sunlight or, better yet, in a greenhouse. Air plants don’t need too much water but every couple of weeks should be misted 2-3 times or immersed in water for about 20 minutes. Air plants are a great filler in your garden or add a little green throughout your house. You can find real air plants at any plant store, especially ones whose expertise are in cacti and succulents.