People who love Tillandsia (air plants) are thrilled when their plants bloom, whether they have been taking great care of them all year or just got a lucky surprise in their new shipment. People often ask us if this beautiful bloom will soon be a dead air plant. Thankfully, the answer is no! The plants’ blooming cycle is when they are fully grown, but it is also the start of their reproductive cycle, which is when they make babies, or “pups.” Read our blog post about the Tillandsia life cycle to learn more. This means that the plants will naturally fade after they have made pups that are old enough to live on their own, not after the flowers have died. To fully understand this cycle, let’s take a closer look at how air plant blooms work and how to take care of a plant after it blooms.
There are a few different parts that make up the inflorescence, which is the branching reproductive part of air plants. The stalk or stem, the bract from which the flowers grow, and the flowers themselves are the parts that can be seen the most. Air plants have bracts and flowers that are all different colors, from bright pink to orange to purple. Different species of flowers bloom for different amounts of time, from a few days to a few weeks. Most of the time, the bracts of air plants last longer than the flowers, and their pretty colors can last for months after the flower has died. Larger species of Tillandsia, such as the Xerographica, tend to have longer bloom cycles, some over a year!.
You can either cut off the flowers and leave the dried bract in place to watch the plant’s natural cycle, or you can take them off and trim the bract all the way down to the base. Trimming the inflorescence will not harm the plant and will help to encourage pup growth. The timing of pup growth is dependent on the plant’s care and environment. It takes a while, so don’t give up if the offspring don’t show up right away after the bloom is over. If you have air plant fertilizer, now is a great time to use it! Make sure the plant gets enough water and sunlight. Once the pup or pups have started to grow and mature, the mother plant will usually start to fade and die off. When the pups are about one-third to one-half the size of the mother plant, they can be taken away so they can live on their own and eventually grow up and bloom. For further details on pup removal, check out our “Easy Propagation of Air Plants” blog. Some types of air plants, like those in the Ionantha family, make a lot of pups and will eventually grow into a group of plants if they are left to reproduce naturally.
Are you waiting for your Tillandsia to bloom? Our blog post “How to Encourage Your Air Plant to Bloom” has helpful advice on how to make that happen.
An air plant bursting into bloom is an exciting event for any Tillandsia grower But it also often brings up questions about what happens next Will the plant die after flowering? Or will it continue living and blooming year after year? The answer lies in understanding the natural life cycle of air plants.
The Flowering Stage
Flowering marks the peak of maturity in an air plant’s life. Given the right conditions, air plants will produce a flowering stalk known as an inflorescence. This structure contains colorful bracts which hold the actual flowers. Blooming is triggered when an air plant has stored enough energy to support reproduction.
Flowers can last anywhere from a few days to many weeks depending on the air plant species. Popular blooming air plants include T. ionantha, T. aeranthos and T. xerographica. Larger species often have longer lasting blooms.
Post-Bloom Care
Once flowering has completed, you can leave the dried blooms and bracts intact or trim them off near the base. Trimming will direct more energy towards producing pups.
Be sure to continue providing adequate sunlight, water, and fertilizer, especially if pups are forming. The mother plant will start fading as the pups mature.
Do Air Plants Die After Blooming?
Air plants are monocarpic, meaning they bloom once before dying. So yes, the mother plant will eventually perish after flowering.
However, flowering also kicks off the reproduction process. Before, during and after blooming, air plants produce offsets known as pups. These pups are the next generation that will continue living after the mother plant dies off.
The Pup Stage
Pups emerge from the base of the mother plant. Most air plant species will produce 2 to 8 pups on average. Prolific pup producers like T. ionantha can produce even more.
It takes time for pups to reach maturity. They need to grow to about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the mother before they can be removed and survive independently.
Once the pups reach this stage, it’s safe to detach them by gently twisting or cutting away from the mother. Then the pups can be mounted or potted to continue growing. In some cases, the pups remain attached in a clump colony.
The Full Life Cycle
Understanding the full sequence of the air plant life cycle helps explain why plants bloom andfade:
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Maturation: Given proper care, air plants will mature to reach reproductive age in 1 to several years depending on species. Environmental factors like light and nutrition impact maturation rate.
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Flowering: At peak maturity, air plants produce a flowering stalk and blooms. This marks the beginning of the end of the mother plant’s lifespan.
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Pup production: Just before, during or after flowering, pups begin emerging at the base. The mother plant provides nutrients to the pups.
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Pup maturity: Over weeks or months, the pups grow larger, storing energy and reaching a mature size. The mother plant starts fading as pup growth accelerates.
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Pup detachment: Finally the pups can detach and live independently as the mother completes its natural life cycle and dies away.
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Pup flowering: In time, the cycle continues as the pups reach their own flowering age and the reproduction process begins anew.
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Air Plant Deaths & How to Avoid Them | DON’T Give Up On These Beauties Yet!!
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