old man's beard air plant Tillandsia

old man's beard air plant TillandsiaDescription: Tillandsia usneoides. This species is known by many names, such as: Grandfathers Whiskers, Old Mans Beard and Spanish Moss. It grows in long, intertwining strands which consist of thousands of individual plants joined together in a chain. The plant's foliage is thin, and silver to grey green in colour. T. usneoides produces tiny green flowers which are fragrant, and can be tied or draped over objects to create stunning display pieces. In

Description: Tillandsia usneoides. This species is known by many names, such as: Grandfather’s Whiskers, Old Man’s Beard and Spanish Moss. It grows in long, intertwining strands which consist of thousands of individual plants joined together in a chain. The plant's foliage is thin, and silver to grey / green in colour. T. usneoides produces tiny green flowers which are fragrant, and can be tied or draped over objects to create stunning display pieces. In Brisbane our usneoides generally flowers from October to November, this will vary depending on your location and growing conditions. This species thrives when hung up as it lets the plant dry out properly between watering. This species is quite prone to spider mite. 

(10g is shown in the second image.)

Position: They should receive bright, indirect sunlight. Indoors, an east or west facing window area is ideal. Outdoors under partially shaded conditions is fine but in the colder states protection from frost is required, so an undercover or indoors area is more appropriate. 

Watering: As a general rule, a plant in a hot position will require watering every 2-3 days. In a dark, humid environment watering once per week can often be adequate. This can be achieved by misting or dunking the plant. If outdoors, a hose can be used. When dunking a plant, leave submerged in a bowl of water for 10-20 minutes before shaking off excess water. Air plants love to dry out completely between each watering and must never have water sitting at their base as this will cause the plant to rot.

Fertilisation: We recommend fertilising your Air Plants once a fortnight in the warmer months and once a month through winter. We sell Air Plant Fertiliser in our "Decor" section and this bottle can be diluted to create 1L of fertiliser.

Each living plant is unique and may vary slightly in size, colour or shape depending on the season. Flowering plants are sent when available.