Air Plant

Discussion in 'Plant ID' started by jbest123, Nov 19, 2013.

  1. jbest123

    jbest123 In Flower

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    This is an air plant that I bought more than 20 years ago. Can anybody tell me anything about it?
    [​IMG]
    air plant by tsebmj, on Flickr
     
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  3. stratsmom

    stratsmom Flower Fanatic

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    Well, I'd guess it to be a little over 20 years old :D

    Please forgive me! It's late and I'm tired and I just crack myself up sometimes :rolleyes:
     
  4. cherylad

    cherylad Countess of Cute-ification Plants Contributor

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    I have been trying to grow air plants for the last 4-5 years or so. None of them survive for more than a few months. So... I guess if you've had that one for TWENTY years... you're doing something right.
    Your's looks like one that might be like my sis-in-law's tillandsia
     
  5. Jewell

    Jewell Incorrigible Gardener Plants Contributor

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    What's your secret? I've always wanted to try one of these.
     



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  6. Jerry Sullivan

    Jerry Sullivan Garden Experimenter Plants Contributor

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    20 years old, wow, you must share the secret to having an air plant for that long. All the Epiphytes I have are in soil. I have terrible luck with any Tillandsia. :-(

    Jerry
     
  7. waretrop

    waretrop Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    Is that it's normal upright position? I think they still grow toward the sunlight..
     
  8. purpleinopp

    purpleinopp Young Pine Plants Contributor

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    Looks like Tillandisa to me too, maybe T. ionantha.
     
  9. jbest123

    jbest123 In Flower

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    I think you guys are correct on the ID. It was horizontal when I bought it and I just laid it on the bay window seal. It got lots of indirect light but never bloomed. DW will mist it every couple of months. I wonder if I can strip the dead stuff off the base.
     
  10. purpleinopp

    purpleinopp Young Pine Plants Contributor

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    I would be afraid of damaging it. That sounds like extremely dry conditions for this tropical little guy. As long as your mist is fine, and doesn't leave big drops of water on the plant, I'd mist it a lot more often. In nature, they live on tree trunks/branches. Do you have a place like that for it - "in" another plant? That would give it slightly higher humidity from moisture transpiring from the host plant. You're right though to not confuse being wet with humidity.

    I'll be switching to mist now that plants are inside for a bit, but while outside, I poured rain water ON this little guy a couple times a week, in the morning to make sure it's dry by nightfall. Had since March, if memory is correct, so you should probably be telling ME what to do, but it has made the pup in that time, so I think it's doing well. The color looks good. The sun was hitting it, dappled, in the morning until plants came inside last week. Inside, hopefully a little afternoon shine will keep it happy. It's kind of wrapped its' leaves around the trunks, to keep itself in place when the wind blows I guess.

    [​IMG]
    Tillandsia making itself a home on Dracaena trunk. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )
     
  11. cherylad

    cherylad Countess of Cute-ification Plants Contributor

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    I never thought of putting one on "host" plant. I may have to try some again the next time I see some.
     
  12. jbest123

    jbest123 In Flower

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    I have had this plant so long I don't think I will change anything. But if I can find another one, There is a host back in the corner of this photo. How did you attach the air plant to the branch until it took hold?

    [​IMG]
    PA230001 by tsebmj, on Flickr
     
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  13. purpleinopp

    purpleinopp Young Pine Plants Contributor

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    Great group of green growings!

    I chose that tree because it happened to have the fork in it, just the right size for Tilly to sit there. It's not attached. I'm still not real clear on that either, but from what I've seen it do, if it keeps doing that, the pups will eventually cause it to encircle one or both of the trunks. People who hang-grow them have pics of them where they are completely round, like a solid globe of leaves going in every direction.

    If none of your trunks have a fork, you could use some florist wire to make a little basket on a trunk that the Tilly could sit on, sort of like a shelf.

    Those awesome ferns, which transpire a lot, gave me the idea to use some kind of spiral stake to cradle your Tilly, that you could stick in the soil of one of the ferns. It would be suspended above the fern foliage. Don't know if that idea appeals to you, some of my ideas are a little wild for some people.

    The little stake mostly visible to the right is along the lines of what I'm picturing in my mind. (The one Haworthia blooms often, so the stake stays there, ready to hold those really long bloom things up.)
    [​IMG]
    Succulent mini garden table. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )
     
  14. chocolate

    chocolate In Flower

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    I grow tillandsias, I tie mine to trees with an old nylon stocking, quite tightly.
    And yes the old growth at the base can be cleaned off, later today I will post photos of some similar.
     
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  15. waretrop

    waretrop Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    :-D :-D :-D :-D
     
  16. purpleinopp

    purpleinopp Young Pine Plants Contributor

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    Yeah, real tales from out in the field!
     

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