Air Plants

[tbendl]

Does anyone have any experience with air plants? I received this batch from a friend and I want to "plant" them in some driftwood and hang on my wall. I was told they don't need anything else but to be spritzed with water every few days. Any advice would be awesome.

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

where are the roots?

May be dipping in water will grow back its roots?

 

[tbendl]

They don't have any. They get their "food" from their leaves so you just tuck them into wood or glass containers or terrariums without dirt. They are pretty cool looking.

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

I thought its roots are used to stick to tree.

I have seen that one of my friends house, he tied to a betel nut tree about 6 feet.

It had long roots that surround the stem of betel nut tree.

 

[tbendl]

I think different types might have roots, I am a complete newbie. Just got this handful and am looking at ordering more. I want to do a large flat driftwood piece with these, kind of like a hanging garden. I'm looking at ones that flower and bloom and stay relatively small. I'm fascinated by them.

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

I don't have any experience with that type of plants, will love to see few more picture of your plants after you have settled them onto drift wood or palm tree etc.

 

[tbendl]

Thanks Rajesh, I sure will post some pictures!

 

[tbendl]

So I went to the driftwood place yesterday and fell in love. So many beautiful pieces. I've got an idea of what I want but thought I'd share some of them and see what you guys think.
The first 2 pictures are probably way too large but I love the shape and variation in them. The 3rd was way too expensive. The 4,5,6th pictures are what I am looking at building and the last picture is a piece I want.
I am probably leaning toward building like the 4th picture and drilling holes for the air plants and maybe a small shelf for a candle or something. I do now want a driftwood bench for the yard though.
Enjoy!

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

Those molds on the wood looks pretty scary, are you sure its safe to use.

I thought drift wood are collected, carved and treated with salt water, even boiled to remove leaching color from the wood, then they are used.

I made concrete drift wood design to put inside my aquarium.

 

[roadrunner]

We have Spanish moss all over the place around here, which is not actually a moss, but an air plant. It's the stuff you see a lot when you see southern plantations, like here: https://www.google.com/search?q=Spanish+moss+images+on+plantations&rlz=1C1NHXL_enUS710US710&tbm=isch&imgil=Ai5jjHssq9mwVM%3A%3BWZ8cnqrEl_95OM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.shutterstock.com%252Fsearch%252Fspanish%25252Bmoss&source=iu&pf=m&fir=Ai5jjHssq9mwVM%3A%2CWZ8cnqrEl_95OM%2C_&usg=__KtZaf07rRQms6S57kfrLagsUEZk=&biw=1600&bih=794&ved=0ahUKEwisp47t5b_UAhUJKiYKHeUUAX8QyjcILQ&ei=CnZCWaz6BYnUmAHlqYT4Bw#imgrc=bf0PIm2Pjx-BTM:

I go down the street about two miles from my house and see the stuff growing all over the place, but it doesn't grow too well on my land. The reason is because of humidity levels. So yes, you gotta keep it moist.

The reason why it can't grow in my neighborhood too well is because we always have a wind coming off the ocean (I live about a mile from the ocean) and that keeps the air relatively dry, but there are areas closer to various tributaries to the St Johns river and with more obstructions to wind flow and you see it growing much like the picture above and those places are just as close to the ocean.

It's a dramatic illustration of a micro climate.

 

[tbendl]

Those molds on the wood looks pretty scary, are you sure its safe to use.

I thought drift wood are collected, carved and treated with salt water, even boiled to remove leaching color from the wood, then they are used.

I made concrete drift wood design to put inside my aquarium.

The pieces I'm looking at don't have the mold, those are pieces he hasn't treated yet. I was mainly looking at the piece in the middle with the holes in it. Good point though, since it's going to be in my house. Thanks Rajesh

@roadrunner we have the same stuff here, I didn't know it was also an air plant. I'll have to grab some and add it to the mix, I've always thought it was lovely. Thanks for the great suggestion!