My husband bought me some air plants for Mother’s Day. He was so excited. They had intense colors and I suspected they had been “enhanced” by the seller. I think they are Tillandsia ionatha. They have done well but one did die. One actually flowered! But, I just can’t get over that these are not their “natural coloration” and it really bothered me when I saw green leaf area under the blue one.
I have several air plants now but I go through a specific air plant seller and I’ve never seen anything this vivid there. Mostly light greens to deep greens she is the one who told me that unscrupulous sellers “enhanced” their colors to make them catch your eye and buy them.
I know Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart will sell succulents that have been painted. I think that is awful and tell everyone not to buy them.
Also, I have several green air plants that I don’t know how to treat. Some of them got root/leaf rot and lost some of their leaves from the bottom. I think it was too much water and not enough air circulation in the room or the shells I put them in are too tight for them to dry out enough.
First, I want to know if the colorful ones are “natural” or enhanced.
Second, on the blue one I see green below the blue. Does that mean it’s growing or dying?
Third, I have 3 green ones to ID and one has a bud that’s been there a month without opening. How long does it take and does it have a color?
Fourth, is there ANY NATURALLY COLORFUL air plants?
by TiredWomanBren
2 Comments
They are definitely not natural. They are “enhanced,” often with a dye. There is some concern that these dyes interfere with the trichromes the plants use to capture moisture and the stomata that allow the leaves to breathe.
The green on the blue guy is new growth coming.
Lots of air plants develop a reddish-purplish blush when they are about to flower. Some also show a beautiful red blush when they are getting plenty of light. Tillandsia ionantha rubra, Tillandsia ionantha fuego, and Tillandsia tricolor are ones that jump to mind as being easy to find and having lovely, natural color in the right conditions (mostly light!).
The color is actually like a paint. It’s bad for the plants because it covers their natural leaves and makes it more difficult for them to absorb light. Some mass sellers “paint” them to make them more attractive for sale. They do this to succulents and other varieties as well. It is lucky the paint has not killed these. The green part of the plant is natural new growth. There are colorful air plants, but they’re not as vibrant as the painted ones.