Air Plant Finder: Which Tillandsia Is Right for You?

Find Your Perfect Air Plant

Answer two quick questions in your head and this guide points you to the right Tillandsia and how often to water it. Every plant here follows the same simple routine: soak for 30 minutes, then dry fully within 4 hours, in bright indirect light. Tillandsias by the Sea.

1. Which air plant is right for you?

Find the line that sounds most like you.

• You forget to water and have a bright spot: Tillandsia Harrisii, a forgiving silver (xeric) plant that loves light and shrugs off a missed watering.
• You want a big statement piece: Tillandsia Xerographica, the silver Queen of air plants, dramatic and surprisingly low-maintenance.
• You want wild, green, and lush: Tillandsia Bulbosa, a green (mesic) plant with alien tendrils that likes a bit more water.
• You want cute, small, and nearly unkillable: Tillandsia Ionantha, the perfect adaptable first air plant.
• Your spot is on the lower-light side: Tillandsia Caput-Medusae, a tolerant, sculptural choice with snaking leaves.
• Your room is humid, like a bathroom: Tillandsia Brachycaulos, a lush green plant that loves the moisture.
• You want a gift or a showpiece: The Airplant Jellyfish, our signature plant set in a hanging sea urchin shell.

2. How often should you water it?

Match your plant type to your home. These assume spring or summer; in fall and winter, stretch each interval by several days.

• Silver, fuzzy (xeric) plants: about every 2 weeks in an average home. Closer to every 10 days in dry, heated, or air-conditioned air, and every 2 to 3 weeks in a humid space.
• Green, smooth (mesic) plants: about weekly in an average home. Every 4 to 5 days in dry air, and around every 10 days in a humid space.
• Not sure which you have? Water about every 10 days, then adjust: sooner if the leaves curl, less often if the base ever feels soft.

Every time: soak for 30 minutes, shake the water out of the center, and dry the plant fully upside down within 4 hours. Trapped water is the one thing that reliably rots an air plant.

Air plant quick FAQ

Do air plants need soil? No. They absorb water and nutrients through their leaves, so you can display them on wood, in a shell, or in an open dish.

How much light do they need? Bright indirect light, such as an east window or a few feet back from a brighter window. Silver plants can take some gentle direct sun; green plants prefer indirect light only.

Why is my air plant turning brown? Usually thirst, shown by dry, crispy tips, or rot, shown by a soft, dark base. A good soak fixes thirst, and drying fully within 4 hours prevents rot.

Ready to choose? Browse the air plant collection and our displays, or read the full Air Plant Care blog. Made by Airplantería, San Diego.