Air Plants: The Curious World of Tillandsias

by Zenaida Sengo, Caitlin Atkinson (Photographer)

Overview

“In this beautiful book, artist Zenaida Sengo has provided inspiration for designing and living with tillandsias.” —Flora Grubb

Air Plants shows how simple and rewarding it is to grow, craft, and design with these modern, easy-to grow houseplants. Stunning photographs showcase creative ideas for using tillandsias mounted on walls and suspended from the ceiling. You’ll learn how to use the plants in living hair accessories and jewelry and in unique containers, like dishware, leather bowls, and baskets. Six step-by-step projects include a wood mount, a wall hook, lasso-and-hook wiring, a ceramic-frame garden, and three unique terrariums..
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781604696516
Publisher:	Timber Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/01/2014
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	60 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Zenaida Sengo is an artist and horticulturist in San Francisco. When she was an art student, her love of the natural world inspired her painting and drawing, and now in her tiny San Francisco apartment she suspends orchids and bromeliads from the ceiling and nestles them amidst other epiphytic plants, rocks, and minerals. She works with tillandsias at the acclaimed Flora Grubb Gardens, creating designs that integrate plants in and around the home. At other times Zenaida can be found farther afield, rock climbing and alpine camping in Northern California.
 

Caitlin Atkinson is a photographer of places, spaces, and all things botanical. She was the photographer for the books Dry Gardens: High Style for Low Water Gardens and Designing with Palms, among others. Her photographs have appeared in Elle Decor, Dwell, Martha Stewart Living, and Architectural Digest. When not photographing gardens, you can find her digging in her own patch of dirt. See more of her work on Instagram @caitlinatkinson_photography or at www.caitlinatkinson.com.

Read an Excerpt

A Tillandsia Primer
 
Seeing your plants flourish every day is one of the intimate joys of indoor gardening. But for many people, caring for plants, let alone a species as exotic as air plants, can be daunting. I’ve been immersed in the world of air plant cultivation for quite a while now, and my work at the nursery has given me the opportunity to refine my knowledge about these quirky plants and their care. When people come into the nursery and ask for assistance with picking out an air plant, I enjoy providing them with information that helps them choose a plant that suits their creative sensibilities and lifestyle. To get you started with your own air plants, on the following pages you’ll find background information about the species and its native habitat as well as practical guidance on everything from providing your plants with the right amount of light and the best method for watering them to recognizing signs of ill health and choosing good companion plants.

Understanding Air Plants
 
Classification
Tillandsias, more widely known as air plants, make up the largest genus in the bromeliad family, encompassing more than 600 species. While the pineapple is the most well-known—and only edible—bromeliad, it is a diverse family of plants with a vast array of colors and patterns in its foliage and a strong tropical appearance. Tillandsias are unusual members of this plant family. Their primary distinguishing features are their limited root function (tillandsia roots are used strictly to attach themselves to a host, such as a tree, to gain optimal light exposure) and sole reliance on leaves for absorbing water. The rest of the bromeliad family collects water through an internal reservoir, or central cup, created by the tight overlapping of their centermost leaves, and are referred to as tank-type bromeliads. These bromeliads are typically seen planted upright in soil.

It is a common misconception that air plants don’t need water or light like other plants. They do indeed need water and light—they simply have a less traditional means of obtaining these elements. Though it may be seem more formal to use tillandsia as the common name for this plant, the name “air plant” is a bit of a misnomer. Air plants, scientifically defined, can refer to any plant that grows epiphytically, meaning without any soil or substrate, typically upon other plants or surfaces and deriving its moisture and nutrients from the air.

Epiphytes (air plants) include the majority of orchids, mosses, and liverworts; some succulents and ferns; algae; and nearly the rest of the bromeliad family. The notion of something living on air suggests, wrongly, that no steps need to be taken to care for tillandsias in or around the home. It is for these reasons that I usually refer to plants in the genus as tillandsias.
 
About Scientific Plant Names
The scientific, or Latin, name of a plant consists of two parts. The first part of the Latin name is the name of the genus and is always capitalized. (The genus Tillandsia is named after Swedish botanist Elias Tillands.) The genus describes a group of plants that are closely related—plants in a genus are usually similar in appearance or DNA structure. The second part is the name of the species, which is a subgroup within the genus, and is not capitalized. The species name is often a descriptive word that offers a clue about the plant’s physical characteristics or where it came from. For example, the scientific name Tillandsia streptophylla tells you that the leaves of the plant are curly, because strepto comes from the Greek word for twisted, and phylla comes from the Greek word for leaves. Why use scientific names for plants? Common names can be misleading because many plants share a common name, and the common name for a plant can vary from region to region, whereas Latin names are specific to a single plant only.
 
About Epiphytes
Epiphytes are plants that anchor on another plant—called a host plant—but take no nourishment from the host plant (they’re not parasitic). They use the host to reach a location that provides them with sufficient air and light, and they live on nutrients drawn from the air, rainwater, and organic debris that accumulates around them. They can also anchor on inanimate objects such as a telephone wire.

 

Editorial Reviews

08/04/2014
Sengo offers fresh possibilities to people who love plants in their homes but have little time, limited space, and a general disinclination toward plant care. Tillandsias, also known as air plants, meet those conditions, and this helpful volume outlines ways to cultivate and decorate with this odd genus, a member of the bromeliad family. Flourishing (almost) on neglect, tillandsias add an exotic note to window sills, on table tops, or suspended in air. The plants draw nourishment through their leaves, defying the horticultural logic that requires good soil with appropriate pH levels. They possess roots, which attach themselves to host as a means of finding optimal light and serviceable moisture. Tillandsias do need moisture regularly, whether acquired through a spray bottle, a faucet, or a good soak; otherwise they will dry out. Sengo’s informative book offers creative ways to enjoy these quirky plants, which require minimal care and enhance living space with a hint of exotic flare. 195 color photos. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

In every gardener’s life, the road divides, providing a chance to let go of old snobberies and discover new delights. My heart leapt when I saw Air Plants. . . . I gazed with no small lust in the heart at air plants perching in napkin rings, teacups or bull’s horns, as styled by the book’s artistic author.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Sengo offers fresh possibilities to people who love plants in their home but have little time, limited space, and a general disinclination toward plant care. . . . Sengo’s informative book offers creative ways to enjoy these quirky plants.” —Publishers Weekly

“A timely book for the genus tillandsia, which seems to be popping up everywhere as of late, as the ‘in’ group of plants.” —Country Gardens
 
“This book, written by Flora Grubb Gardens’ own Zenaida Sengo and photographed by the insanely talented Caitlin Atkinson, takes a deep dive into different varieties, care, and projects.” —Sunset

“A great introduction. . . . Immerse yourself in the wonders of these deceptively simple showstoppers.” —Chicago Tribune

“Sengo dishes on the plant. . . . sharing ideas for decorating with the low-maintenance, sculptural wonders. Sengo and photographer Caitlin Atkinson use their homes and the homes of friends to demonstrate how to turn the plants into the perfect accessory for any bright space.” —San Francisco Chronicle
 
“Zenaida Sengo may inspire you to add a little exotic flavor to your environs with these unusual plants.” —American Gardener
 
“This book covers all the basics of growing and crafting with the fuzzy, spiky, sculptural plants that are—bonus!—low-maintenance and soil free.” —Denver Life Magazine  

“Step-by-step instructions along with color photographs will help you design a hard-to-kill arrangement, for yourself or gift giving.” —The Oregonian

“A truly handy and fun read, with clear, pretty photos and step-by-step how-to projects, this book is not only a guide on choosing and caring for air plants, but also gives us amazingly creative ideas on air plant crafting and design.” —BoingBoing

“A plant lover’s dream.” —The Nest

From the Publisher

A timely book for a the genus tillandsia, which seems to be popping up everywhere as of late, as the ‘in’ group of plants.”  

Country Gardens

Sengo’s book is a great introduction. She has sections on care, origins and display, as well as hundreds of color photos to illustrate design and decorating projects to immerse yourself in the wonders of these deceptively simple showstoppers.” 

Chicago Tribune

Step-by-step instructions along with color photographs will help you design a hard-to-kill arrangement, for yourself or gift giving.” 

The Oregonian

In every gardener’s life, the road divides, providing a chance to let go of old snobberies and discover new delights. My heart leapt when I saw Air Plants. Ah-ha! I thought—magic! Plants that need no tending! Sadly, I was mistaken. These eccentric, beguiling organisms need quite a bit of misting and primping, and like most of us, they demand a good, long soak in the tub from time to time. They have limited root function and rely on their leaves for absorbing water. If you insist on calling the brown stuff we walk on “dirt” rather than soil, Tillandsias will delight. I gazed with no small lust in the heart at air plants perching in napkin rings, teacups or bull’s horns, as styled by the book’s artistic author.”

The New York Times Book Review

Sengo dishes on the plant . . . sharing ideas for decorating with the low-maintenance, sculptural wonders.  Sengo and photographer Caitlin Atkinson use their homes and the homes of friends to demonstrate how to turn the plants into the perfect accessory for any bright space.” 

The San Francisco Chronicle

A plant lover’s dream.

The Nest

"In this beautiful book, artist Zenaida Sengo has provided inspiration for designing and living with tillandsias."

Flora Grubb

“In every gardener’s life, the road divides, providing a chance to let go of old snobberies and discover new delights. My heart leapt when I saw Air Plants. Ah-ha! I thought—magic! Plants that need no tending! Sadly, I was mistaken. These eccentric, beguiling organisms need quite a bit of misting and primping, and like most of us, they demand a good, long soak in the tub from time to time. They have limited root function and rely on their leaves for absorbing water. If you insist on calling the brown stuff we walk on “dirt” rather than soil, Tillandsias will delight. I gazed with no small lust in the heart at air plants perching in napkin rings, teacups or bull’s horns, as styled by the book’s artistic author.”

The New York Times Book Review - Dominique Browning