Best Product: $25 Air Plants From DWR

As the light fades and it gets colder, our apartment is starting to look a little bleak. What better way to keep things bright than with a few of these Tillandsia pants from Design Within Reach...

Known as "air plants", Tilandsia do not require any kind of soil, and only need to be soaked in water once every two or three weeks, which is great news for those of us with less-than-green thumbs. DWR presently sells four varieties, approximately 6-8" high. All produce flowers; according to DWR:

"Each varietal has a different aesthetic: Kendra will blush into a red hue if left in a brightly lit area and will bloom with numerous purple flowers. Also reddish with purple flowers, the Eric Knobloch varietal has long, thin leaves that point out in every direction. Iontha Druid grows in a ball, a dense rosette of yellow-green leaves, and it blooms white flowers. A graceful hybrid, Redy turns a red hue in bright light and blooms red flowers (hence the name)."

Comments (15)

I've always disliked airplants. They seem so anemic.

posted by nazrd on October 23rd 2008 at 11:16am
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This seems like something you'd want to go to a nursery for.

posted by amt230 on October 23rd 2008 at 11:18am
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This is the biggest rip-off ever. Go to your nursery or get them on ebay. You can get 5-6 plants for the price DWR wants to charge you. How do they get away with this?

posted by robertcraig on October 23rd 2008 at 11:25am
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robertcraig - I agree it's a rip off - but they get away with it because there are people that will buy them simply because they are from DWR.

posted by twenty twenty-one on October 23rd 2008 at 11:38am
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And apparently AT will plug them just because they're from DWR.

posted by Cassis on October 23rd 2008 at 11:53am
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I still managed to kill one of those. I swear I have the blackest thumb ever.

posted by girlonthem00n on October 23rd 2008 at 12:13pm
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OMG. They grow wild in all the trees in South Florida. The idea of paying that much for them is ridiculous!

Actually, maybe they are the true definition of "design within reach." Just reach up to a branch and grab one!

posted by madsarah on October 23rd 2008 at 12:17pm
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Please do not pay more than $6 or so for one of these. And you don't even need to soak them, just occasionally mist with a spray bottle.

posted by ammanda on October 23rd 2008 at 1:38pm
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Um... yeah, AT air plants should not cost $25. You can go to a nursery can get a 2-3 for $25. You can even order them online for WAY less than what DWR is charging.

And uh... why would you buy a plant from DWR anyway? How is a plant from DWR a Best Product?

posted by sparkle on October 23rd 2008 at 3:48pm
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In the last 10 years I've purchased over $50-worth of air plants -- none have lasted longer than 3 months. I know: I'm a sucker. What's the saying?: 'Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.'

girlonthem00n: We can have a "black-thumb off" ;-}

posted by ldevere on October 23rd 2008 at 3:53pm
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$25 for ONE air plant? I have never paid more than $5-6 for any of mine (they sell them at Home Depot, for goodness sake) and that includes buying from blackjungle.com when I want something fancy. But I'm guessing that some people will buy these just because the come from a big name design store.

Or maybe these are authorized reproductions of original mid-century air plants. ;)

posted by Minerva of the Airship on October 23rd 2008 at 4:54pm
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This is a RIDICULOUS price for air plants. I get mine (great gifts to mail to friends faraway, btw) at Sloat in SF for 3 dollars each! Thanks as always for being a laugh, DWR!

posted by bexblack32 on October 23rd 2008 at 5:40pm
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Sprout Home also has them for way cheaper and the people who work there can actually explain how to fertilize them and tell you how to get them to bloom.

posted by alisong on October 24th 2008 at 5:26am
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These look pretty cool. What do you use to hold the air plants? Obviously not a traditional planter. Any one have some pics or ideas?

posted by lntyrrell on October 24th 2008 at 5:47am
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i'll try this, i'll try anything, i'm desperate, i've killed many many MANY cacti

what's DWR?

posted by elinka189 on October 24th 2008 at 9:24am
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