For those of you who like to keep your home environment clean and green, air plants are a wonderful decorative option. 

And finding out the best tips and growth techniques to keep them alive for a long while is what this is all about.

You might be wondering, why air plants are good for you, how long do they live, and how can you keep them alive for longer? Well, those are the exact questions that will be answered.

We’re going to take a look at the well-loved types of plants, how to grow them, how long they can live, and check out some tips on how to increase their lifespan. 

Background

Air plants are from the Genus Tillandsia which is part of the Bromeliad family of plants. They’re considered Epiphytes, which are simply plants that are able to grow without soil. These plants absorb carbon monoxide and other nutrients from the air to thrive which is why they’re termed air plants.

Air plants are usually found in the Southern United States, South America, and Mexico. These plants are becoming increasingly popular because of their visual beauty and health benefits.

How Long Do Air Plants Live?

People keep air plants in their homes because of their aesthetic and air-cleansing abilities.

An air plant can take several years to bloom properly depending upon the variety of the plant and its typical slow growth process. This can be sped up to some extent with proper care and attention.

Essentially, the length of an air plant’s life after blooming depends upon the care given to it and the environment it is placed in. Usually, with minimal care, once bloomed, an air plant can survive up to 6-7 months before they wilt. However, with a few tips and tricks, you can elongate the lifespan of the plants.

Shortly after the first bloom cycle,, the mother air plant has a few baby air plants around its base and you can take these baby air plants, also known as pups, and shift them into their own containers, supported by a proper surface to continue the growing process.

Important Things to Know About Air Plants

Considering getting air plants to add to the visual aesthetic of your home? You’re going to love having some in-depth knowledge of these air-sucking tiny creatures that cleanse your atmosphere and release beautiful colors while doing so. Let’s take a look at some interesting things about air plants.

Grow Over Any Support Surface

Since air plants don’t require any support surface, you don’t have to worry about placing them into fresh dirt or soil. Anything from marbles, to moss, cotton, rocks, or basically anything that will provide support to the plant base and allow it to grow roots around will work, which is great for anyone who doesn’t have too much time for plant care.

Humid Natural Climate

Tillandsias like Spanish Moss are plants that grow in humid natural environments of tropical forests where the temperature is high but at the same time, there’s a lot of moisture in the air for the plant to munch on. This is why it’s important not to keep the plant in dry or too cold environments. It simply won’t thrive there.

Vibrant Blooming Colors

Although the air plants you’re cultivating might take a long time to bloom, once they bloom, they’re known to create these beautiful hues of red and pink which look amazing. There are different types of air plants, so you can always expect fascinating colors and incredible visuals when they bloom.

Baby Air Plant Pups

Since after blooming, air plants tend to live for a short period of time, whether they’re in a glass terrarium or in the fresh air, you’re going to be able to see small baby air plants growing at the base of the mother air plant. As these plants grow enough to propagate, you can shift them into their own containers so that your air plants can live on!

Benefits of Growing Air Plants

You might be thinking, why are air plants becoming the popular choice?  Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of growing air plants.

• Visual Decoration – Vibrant and bright colored spiky air plants make for beautiful visual décor  whether you’re keeping them in your living area or your study. Visual appeal is one of the biggest reasons for the air plant’s popularity.

• Cleanses the air – Air plants absorb carbon monoxide from the air at night time thus keeping the atmosphere and air within your vicinity pure and safe for you. Another good reason to grow them in your house!

• Needs little care – The best thing about air plants is that they’re indoor plants that don’t need much cultivation or excessive care to grow. Hence why they’re the perfect choice for people who are busy but still want to have beautiful plants in their home.

• Easy to move – Instead of having to get soil in a container or a vase to propagate the air plants, all you need to do is pick the plant up with the support surface and transfer it wherever you would like to, without a problem.

• Available in many sizes – Another great thing about these epiphytic plants is that they’re available in many different sizes from small air plants to larger ones that’s why you can place them on your desk as well as the entrance of your house and make it look incredibly amazing.

Tips to Increase the Lifespan of Your Air Plants

Air plants don’t live very long once they’ve bloomed, on their own. But with proper care and taking the necessary steps, the lifespan of your air plants can significantly be increased. Let’s take a look at some of the best tips to increase the lifespan of your air plants.

• Spray or Soak in Water Every Week – An adequate amount of water is necessary for your air plants. Take a glass or bottle of tap water, and soak your air plant after taking it out of the container. Alternatively, you can also spray the air plant completely with a spray bottle containing  tap water. Make sure you don’t use distilled water to water the plant as that’s not good for your air plants.

• Place in Indirect Light – Direct sunlight can temporarily or permanently damage your air plants. They will burn and wilt. So, be sure to place your air plants in indirect light, such as under a shade or in front of a windowpane. You can also use a fluorescent bulb to provide light and warmth to the plant so it continues the process of photosynthesis in the daytime. This works quite well to keep the plant healthy.

• Trim and cut the plant – If you want your air plant to live as long as you can stretch its lifespan out, you need to make sure you cut off the wilted and rotten parts of the plant every now and then. This will halt the rotting process in its place, and the rot won’t transfer from one leaf to another in the plant.

• Provide Fertilization – Bromeliad fertilization is extremely necessary too, for the growth and development of an air plant. Take your tap water, add water-soluble fertilizer to it, and mix it in to create the perfect growth nutrient-rich solution for your air plant. Then you can simply spray the air plant with this concoction and keep it healthy and alive. However, make sure you don’t over-fertilize the plant as that will make the plant wilt sooner rather than later. Do this no more than once or twice per month during the blooming season.  Typically be between March and November. 

• Allow Plants to dry – Air plants are unique in many cases. They are known to absorb nutrients from the air at night and that is why the best time to water them is during the day. If you water the plants during the night and put them into the container without drying them, they won’t be able to absorb nutrients due to excess moisture. So, be sure to  dry them in the morning for 20-25 minutes before placing them back into the containers.

Summary

Air plants will typically take between 6 months and several years before they bloom.  After which they will sprout off baby plants called pups.  These pups can then be shifted to their own containers where the growth cycle continues.

These plants come in vibrant colors, cleanse the air, and are fairly easy to care for.  With a little bit of maintenance and harvesting new pubs you can enjoy beautiful air plants for a long time.