Botany
The Air Plant
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Air plants (Tillandsia) do not need soil. Instead of using roots mainly to absorb water and nutrients, they take in much of what they need through specialized scales on their leaves called trichomes. Their roots are used mostly for anchoring the plant to trees, rocks or other surfaces.
In nature, many air plants grow as epiphytes — plants that live on other plants for support without parasitizing them.
Come to the Science Playground to see a plant that never needs repotting.
Additional Information
Their roots, when present at all, exist mainly to anchor the plant in place, not to feed it.
In the wild they often grow perched on tree branches, taking advantage of rain and humidity without competing for soil nutrients.