Why Don’t Air Plants Need Soil?

Air plants are epiphytic species, and in the wild, with their short, wiry roots, they grow on trees, rock faces, and other plants rather than in soil. The native habitat of many air plants is on tree trunks and high branches in tropical rainforests. Air plants have an ingenious ability to absorb the nutrients and moisture they need from the air around them and don’t need soil to survive. Some epiphytes are adaptable enough to grow in soil (such as the staghorn fern and some moss species), but they’ll need to be particularly dry and well-draining. The roots of these plants are only needed to anchor them in position. How and where you display your air plants depends on your room decor, available filtered light, and how your budget or DIY skills measure up. Check out these imaginative ideas for where to put air plants in your home for a bit of inspiration. If you’re planning to use misting to water your air plant, then you might want to opt for a different holder rather than an absorbent fabric macrame hanger. Remember not to add a potting medium to these containers as few air plant varieties survive in soil. And don’t be tempted to pour water into the container for irrigation. While you need to water your air plants regularly, this should be done with light misting and soaking or dunking every one or two weeks. Exact requirements vary depending on the species and your home conditions. You can buy some air plants already in shell displays, but often they’re glued down. You’’ll want to gently release them from the adhesive to make watering and caring for them less tricky. And, if your watering them in the shell, make sure you empty any water out the bottom—standing water is not this plant’s friend.