Air Plants - A Care Guide to those perfect little gifts

Air plants make the ultimate gift, they are not very pricey, they come in an array of shapes and sizes and are easily accessorized by crystals, cute vessels, you can display them on a desk or even hang them on the wall.

A lot of times we use them as accents in our gift crates just because the add something special and earthy to the gift crate.

And let’s be honest, they can handle a little abuse and neglect which is perfect for…well anyone.

Here’s our Blooming Tilandsia Huston , isn’t she quite the drama queen!

Usually I leave the larger ones as is without any container, I think they are already dramatic and impressive on their own.

The look amazing on bookshelves, I have one on my whiskey bar cart, you can even hang them using some decorative wire or a macrame air plant holder, these are super adorable!

The smaller ones I like to add in little ceramic planters , we carry them in all sorta fun shaped ranging from flamingoes to Weiner dog to unicorn to the very modern clean cut ceramic cylinders.

We even carry little mini terrarium accented by decorative sand and crystals ( yes you can’t ever EVER have too many #Crystals!)

I often add then as extra accent in my succulent garden as well as my orchid arrangements

However you chose to display them here are a few tips that will help you properly care for your new plant babies :

First of all no, just because they are called Air Plants, it does not mean they live on air alone.

They are called so simply because unlike other plants they do not require potting soil to survive.

In the wild they grow in forests and mountains of South and Central America, where they appear as parasites to other plants growing on their branches.

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.

LIGHT:

In order to thrive they need a bright diffused light. Be careful of the very hot afternoon light as it can be very hot and fry your air plant.

If you are placing your air plants in a darker room and relying solely on artificial light, keep in mind your air plants will need fluorescent light as regular incandescent bulbs will not provide the right light for them to photosynthesize. Your Tillandsia should be placed no further than 3 feet from the light source for at least 12 hours a day.

WATER:

Watering your air plant is the key it keeping it alive . Some people prefer misting it , others soaking it ,I personally use a combination of both.

It is important to evaluate the location you place your airplants in, heat and humidity are important factors in determining how ofter your air plants require watering.

On a general rule of thumb I soak my air plants in water every 10 days and I mist if them if the air is very dry once in between the soakings. Please remember to make sure no water gets caught inside your air plants or they will rot. Shake off any excess water!

Your air plants will slowly brown and turn a little crispy to the touch if they are under watered, they will unfortunately rot and die if they are overwatered.

Our air plants will soon be available for nationwide shipping, in the meantime feel free to visit other cool gift items we carry in store : FUN GIFTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS