Staying Grounded is overrated
If pets are the new kids, then plants are the new pets. But if you find yourself with a less-than-green thumb, even a pet plant may seem intimidating. For those of you looking to give greenery a go, or those hoping to add to your in-home jungle, we spoke with Smith + Front owner and plant guru Staci Egan about the ins and outs of your new favorite, low-maintenance plant: the air plant.
WHAT CLASSIFIES AN AIR PLANT?
“They come from a bromeliad plant, which actually does live in dirt. They can be detached from the root, and can live without the dirt. Once they’ve made that transition they can’t go back to dirt.”
HOW DO THEY KEEP LIVING AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM THE DIRT?
“The leaves take over for what the roots were providing for the plants before. So now they breathe and drink from their leaves instead of their roots.
I mean, they’re super cool. They’re super cool.”
HOW LONG DO THEY LIVE?
“They can live for a very long time… or they can die in a few months.
Sometimes, they’ll die after having a baby plant. They’ll bloom– then after the bloom dies off, they have a “pup”. Sometimes that actual labor of having a baby will strain the plant, and the initial plant will die after that.”
WILL THE NEW PLANT SURVIVE?
“Yes! You will just detach it. It’ll grow fast, and soon enough you’ll have a whole ‘nother plant.”
IS THERE A LIMIT TO HOW MUCH THEY CAN GROW?
“They’re very different from house plants, which you’ll have to re-pot once a year. An air plant can be in the same container for many years.”
WHAT IS AN AIR PLANT’S IDEAL SETTING?
“If you have a bathroom with a window and a shower– that’s their natural habitat and they’ll be very happy with that humidity. You may not even have to water it, or at least not water it very often, because it’s getting the moisture from the air.”
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF AN UNHEALTHY AIR PLANT?
“They get brown tips. You can just cut them off like any other plant. Often that’s a sign of draft or too much heat. If that happens to your air plant, you can try moving it. They are happy to be moved unlike many other houseplants.”
OVERALL, DO THEY MAKE A GOOD ENTRY-LEVEL PLANT?
“It’s a very good entry level plant. I find air plants easy. I love that you can literally put them right on a shelf and they don’t care! That’s what I think is amazing about air plants.
I’ve had some for five years. I have a customer who said she’s had one for fifteen years.
I actually hear about them a lot for dorm rooms because they don’t take up a lot of space. They’re very budget friendly, and they’re also pet safe. If your dog or cat gets into one, it’s no harm to the animal.
They’re awesome and you should have several!”
