Overheard a guy at the nursery say air plants are 'beginner plants'

I was grabbing some soil this weekend at the local greenhouse when some dude told his friend that air plants are just for beginners who can't keep real plants alive. Look, I've got about 15 tillandsias in my kitchen window and they're thriving because I actually pay attention to their water and light needs. That guy probably kills a snake plant in under a month. Has anyone else run into this weird gatekeeping stuff at garden centers?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaretshah1mo ago

Is it really that serious though? I've got a pilea that's practically a weed and a fern that needs a humidifier on it 24/7. People get so weird about "levels" of plants. Like okay buddy, you can keep an orchid alive for a month, good for you. Meanwhile my marimo moss ball has outlived three of my relationships.

tylermurray1mo ago

Read somewhere recently that air plants are actually harder in some ways because they don't have soil to fall back on if you mess up the watering. A friend of mine has a whole wall of mounted tillandsias and she says the soak and dry routine is way more demanding than just sticking a pothos in a corner. The guy at the nursery probably saw one sad air plant at a big box store and decided they're all easy. Never understood why people have to rank plants like that. Some of the simplest looking plants can be the pickiest if you pay close attention.