Air plants are beautiful and unique plants. If you are new to air plants, you might have some questions. How long do air plants live? That is one of the most common questions that beginner air plant owners ask. In this post, you will learn how long air plants live, how long their flowers live, and how you can continue owning one by propagating it.
In general, most air plants that have been propagated from pups will take 2-3 years to mature, and around 5-8 years from seed. After that, the plant will bloom for the first and last time, after which it will produce its own offsets and then decline.
Lifespan factor #1: Air plant type
The lifespan of your tillandsias will differ significantly between air plant groups, because of their growth rate.
Xeric tillandsias (silvery-fuzzy ones) – naturally come from hot parts of the world. They tolerate stronger lighting and for longer periods of time, and don’t require as much watering as mesic tillandsias.
Mesic tillandsias (greener ones) come from more humid areas of the world, so they require more waterings, including deeper watering sessions. They also naturally hide in the trees, not getting much direct sunlight (but still lots of bright light).
Having compared two groups of tillandsias, it can be pointed out that xeric air plants grow much slower than mesic ones. Slower growth means that it will take longer for the air plant to reach maturity, bloom and produce pups.
Lifespan factor #2: Propagation method
Depending on how your air plant was propagated, it will have a different lifespan. In general, it counts towards the full lifespan – since growing from seed will take much longer than from pups.
If you grow your air plants from seed, it will take around 2-3 years for it to become a small plant. After this, it will take another 3-5 years to mature. Growth will be especially slow for the first couple of years if you grow from seed.
But once your plant has had time to strengthen, it might live for longer than ones grown from pups. Not always however – but most air plants grown from seed will be stronger and healthier in general.
If you start growing a new air plant from an offset, it will take much less for it to reach maturity. That’s usually how your air plant bought from store or ordered online has been propagated. It’s easier and more convenient. It will take around 2-3 years for an offset to reach maturity, bloom, produce new pups and then die.
If you have an air plant and it doesn’t seem to be growing, see this post for more guidance.
Air plant lifespan factor #3: Level of care
How well you care for your air plants is one of the main determining factors of how long your plant will live for. With improper care, your air plant might not live for more than few months.
One of the factors that causes death of air plants is keeping them in moist conditions or overwatering. Air plants in this case don’t show many or any symptoms for some time. But then, they suddenly fall apart when you pick them up or decide to water them again.
Air plants also require proper air exchange and light. Make sure not to keep them in lidded terrariums. Even if you keep them in open displays, you should ventilate the room properly.
Taking the plant outside few times a week will be very beneficial. Lots of indirect but bright light is crucial for your plant to live and thrive.
Make sure that you don’t keep your air plant outside when temperatures get lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius). In summer, you must water your air plant more often.
Lifespan #4: Nutrients and fertilization
Believe it or not, tillandsias in nature absorb nutrients from various sources around them. They absorb nutrients from decaying matter, dying leaves, organic debris from air and even animal poop. At home, your air plants don’t get those nutrients as they have no access to them.
Fertilizing your air plants is not the most important thing, but doing so will prolong your air plants’ lifespan by months if not years. There are different fertilizers that you can use, such as this spray that you need to use weekly. Make sure to always follow product instructions, as too much fertilization can kill your plants by burning them.
Never get any fertilizers that contain boron or zinc, as they are toxic to tillandsias. Also, fertilizer must be water soluble, so that your air plant can absorb it through its trichomes on leaves.
What is more, fertilizer must be urea-free, as it would need bacteria in soil to create usable nitrogen for plants. Your air plants cannot do this due to lack of soil. Using those fertilizers will damage your plant prematurely.
How long do air plant blooms last?
Air plant blooms have a different lifespan – some lasting only few days to 2-4 weeks. However, some larger air plants’ blooms, such as t.xerographica, can last for much longer, for around a year.
To make your air plant’s bloom last longer, make sure not to soak it or water it at all. Air plant’s bloom cannot absorb water, and watering it will lead to quick wilting.
Tillandsias only flower once in their lifetime, before creating pups and dying. Blooming will often happen within 1-2 years after you get it, but can vary.
Thank you for reading this post! If you would like to learn more about air plant care, please see this resource page.