Air plant

Tillandsia ionantha is a bromeliad (Bromeliaceae) from Mexico and Central America, an epiphyte or lithophyte that should not be planted in soil (NC State). It is 15 to 30 centimetres tall and 10 to 20 centimetres wide at most. Shops sell many other Tillandsia, from small tufts to the pink quill (T. cyanea); most are cared for in a similar way, but check the label for any sold potted.

Water is the job. The RHS says to immerse plants two to three times a week, on average, from spring to autumn, in rainwater, and to let them dry fully between soakings, shaking out the centre or angling mounted plants downwards so water drains. Misting alone is not enough, and the plants will not tolerate being kept in water or continuously wet. The RHS warns that hard tap water leaves mineral deposits that can block the leaf scales; rain is rare in Dubai, so filtered or bottled water is the practical choice.

Light is bright but diffused: the RHS suggests a window behind a net curtain, and NC State lists dappled sun, so tinted glass or a sheer curtain is a good filter. The RHS keeps air plants between 12 and 30°C, which an air-conditioned room fits, though a closed flat with the AC off in summer can go beyond it. Humidity is the hard part (NC State, RHS). AC air is drier than tropical plants like, so give it a spot with air movement but not a direct stream, and expect a bathroom or kitchen with a window to suit it better than a living room.

NC State says T. ionantha blooms once: the top leaves turn bright red, then blue-violet flowers open on short spikes; afterwards it makes pups and, left alone, lives for years as a clump. The RHS says to detach offsets when they are a third of the mother plant's size. NC State suggests a dilute, half-strength or weaker, liquid feed in the growing season, and the RHS suggests orchid fertiliser in an occasional overnight soak in summer.