How to Care for Air Plants

Air plants are practically unkillable and are perfect for people who think they can’t grow anything and have never had luck with houseplants. Learn how to care for air plants in this video by Better Homes and Gardens:

Air plants grow without dirt and are epiphytes (grow on other plants like trees but are not parasitic). They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors and are relatively inexpensive, running from under $1 to $10 per plant, and there are online nurseries that specialize only in air plants.

You can water air plants by running them in water in the sink, leaving them in the sink overnight, and them putting them back in place in the morning. If you are away from home for an extended period of time and upon returning find that your air plants look severely dried out, you can revive them by breaking off the bottom dry parts and placing the green parts in a bowl of water for several hours or overnight. During the wintertime when the humidity is low, mist them at the bottom and middle.

Silver-colored air plants tend to be more drought tolerant (and tolerant of neglect), while green-colored ones tend to dry out more quickly. You should water your air plants at least every 1-2 weeks.

You can place air plants in vases or buy glass globes and create hanging gardens around your home. Air plants prefer sun, although you may want to keep them out of direct sunlight in the summer.