Air Plants: Plants That Need No Soil or Water

Plants classified as epiphytic are air plants that do not require soil to grow. As the Kew website notes, "Epiphytes are plants which grow above the ground surface, using other plants or objects for support." They range in style and size and can provide the benefits of plant life to a home or garden where space is limited. They make interesting contributions to a decor, inside or out.

Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is a beautiful plant often found in Florida or other humid areas in the southeast. It grows on established trees, hanging from branches, and it produces small flowers. As the University of Florida's School of Forest Resources & Conservation notes, Spanish moss is not really a moss but an epiphytic plant that uses its roots to capture moisture and nutrients out of the air. The University of Florida also notes that while the moss is not parasitic, it may harm its host tree with its weight or by blocking light.

The Kew website states that "over half of the 20,000 species of orchids are epiphytic." Without soil, epiphytic orchids use roots to absorb moisture from the air and nutrients from decomposing matter or other organic material. Orchids that are air plants function differently than their more common, high-maintenance cousins, which are grown as houseplants and must be watered twice a week by their growers.

The aechmea is a striking member of the bromeliflorae family that produces beautiful flowers. Its name comes from the Greek word for spear, and it represents the flower's bold shoot of color emanating from its clustered leaves. It is commonly found in the southwestern United States, where it is grown inside and outside. Most of the varieties are epiphytes and, according to the University of California, Berkeley, they absorb nutrients and moisture through their leaves rather than their roots.