Magical air plants

Tillandsia, or “air plants” for short, are magical. They attach themselves to trees and grow without soil, taking in moisture and nutrients through the air. They aren’t picky eaters: bugs, dust and decaying leaves will do. They are evergreen perennial plants that flower and make babies. You can see them everywhere in the Tropics — like in your back yard! — but you can also observe dozens of them in cypress swamps. These two caught my eye in Six Mile Cypress Swamp in Fort Myers, Florida, as they were gently lit by the setting sun.

 

Tillandsia attaches to cypress trunk. Lichen (white spot) is part of the scene too.

 

Evening light on flowering Tillandsia. Six Mile Cypress Swamp, Fort Myers, Florida.