How to Revive Tillandsia Air Plants
Tillandsiaair plants are unique for their ability to grow without soil, relying on ample air circulation, moisture, and sunlight to sustain them.
They are fun houseplants because you can perch them anywhere, from bookshelves to picture frames, for eye-catching living art displays.
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Unfortunately, because they don’t grow in a pot of soil, it’s easy to forget to water them. And conversely, because we have no soil to gauge moisture levels, it’s just as easy to oversaturate them.
Our guide to growing tillandsia air plants discusses all you need to know to grow your own.
This article zeroes in on rescuing air plants suffering from dehydration or oversaturation.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Let’s start with a review of growing essentials.
Tillandsia Air Plant BasicsThe Tillandsia genus is in the Bromeliaceae family of flora, which includes bromeliads and pineapples.
There are two types: xeric and mesic.
Both live without soil, nestling in tree bark and on other natural elements, where they absorb nutrients from moisture and organic debris via rain and wind.
Xeric varieties grow in bright sunlight in semi-arid desert climes. They have prominent, hair-like “trichomes” that draw water and nutrients into their fleshy foliage, enabling them to withstand low moisture conditions. These trichomes give xeric varieties a dull gray cast.
Mesic species originate in rainforest canopies, enjoying consistent moisture and dappled sunlight. Their smaller trichomes are less prominent, so their leaves are brighter.
As houseplants, both types perform well in bright, indirect sunlight with ample air
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