"This year air plants are expected to lead the way because they require minimum attention, can fit in small spaces, and brighten up house shares and flats. They only require occasional misting and sunlight." --
The Daily Telegraph, 16 February 2019
Better yet, they don't need soil or water to and were even featured at this year's Chelsea Flower Show. With all this going for them, they must be the very thing for the rush of modern living.
Well, perhaps not quite. Upon hearing such superlatives it might be wise to reach for a healthy pinch of fertilizer. Certainly prior to shedding hard-earned dollars.
This is not to belittle the fascinating
Tillandsia, a genus of over 650 species, 635 of which are epiphytic. Falling in the immense family of the Bromeliaceae, like them all they are native to the New World from northern Mexico and south-eastern United States down into the Caribbean and on through to mid-Argentina.
The great taxonomist Carl Linnaeus named them after Swedish physician and botanist Dr. Elias Tillandz (originally Tillander, 1640-93). This was a typically mischievous move on Linnaeus' part. Poor Tillandz was petrified of large bodies of water. So much so, that following botanizing in Finland he declined to sail home across the Baltic Sea. Instead he travelled by land all the way round to northern Denmark, before crossing the narrow Skagerrak strait, probably with both eyes closed and fingers crossed.
Therein lies their alleged appeal as 'air plants.' As epiphytes, rarely terrestrial, they survive
sans soil mostly on tree limbs, occasionally on rocks (lithophytic). There they are pollinated by hummingbirds, moths, even bats. Technically they are xeromorphic, having low moisture requirements, absorbing what they need through their leaves. As such in areas of high humidity, they may grow on roofs or even telephone wires much to utility companies' distress.
As potential houseplants, it is a different story. Air plants--yes, that is an accepted name--are frequently encountered at commercial 'shows' mounted on wood or stones. Casual examination reveals they are fastened there by the same silicone sealant used around bathroom tubs and basins. The purveyors of such may advise daily or weekly spraying with water, even plunging them in the same. Well, perhaps not quite.
While
Tillandsia species tolerate a wide range of temperatures, from 10ºC to 32ºC, they are intolerant of alkaline or calcareous water. This is not so easily come by in North America.
Equally important is light. The species most commonly offered for sale are those with grey, powdery foliage. Almost all of these are from precipitation-poor, humid areas in full sun. In order to grow air plants in shade, choose those with green foliage, originating from cool, humid, shaded terrestrial levels or the understory of forests.
None of these are exactly large specimens individually. Most grow only a few inches in height, and rarely exceed a foot or two, although they may form larger clumps. The unusual, attractive flowers stems may extend further, however.
While most
Tillandsia are strange enough, a pair common the Gulf States on down through South America are, frankly, weird.
Ball Moss,
T. recurvata, lives up to its name forming mases up to football-size growths, often on live oaks in areas of low light, high humidity and little airflow. Many homeowners dislike their appearance and apply herbicides.
Spanish Moss,
T. usneoides, is another air plant and not a true moss. Familiar from movies of the Deep South, it has been transported as far afield as Hawaii and Australia. It can survive happily on telephone wires. There are even cultivars and hybrids of it. Before the advent of plastics, it was a popular packing material, insulation and, in early 1900s, as stuffing for automobile seats. According to Rebecca Rupp, it was also boiled to make a tea, said to aid women in childbirth, and was stuffed into shoes to alleviate high blood pressure. It is still seen today as a garden mulch, in florist arrangements and in various arts and crafts projects.
