Both very unique in appearance and care requirements, the Medusa Air Plant (Tillandsia caput-medusae) is a stunning Air Plant variety that can have pretty straightforward care requirements once you understand its unique needs. When you give your Medusa Air Plant optimal conditions, they will bloom for you and produce baby plants known as pups.
A Medusa Air Plant needs plenty of bright indirect light, good air circulation, and weekly soaks in water to thrive and eventually bloom. They will produce beautiful flowers once they mature and eventually produce pups before reaching the natural end of their life cycle.
How Do You Take Care of a Medusa Air Plant?
Air Plants are unique because they do not require soil to grow, and the Medusa Air Plant is no exception. Medusa Air Plants are epiphytes, meaning they do not grow terrestrially in nature.
They can grow on other plants and trees but do not steal nutrients from the plants they grow off. Medusa Air Plants are Xeric Air Plants, which means they are more accustomed to desert-like climates and will grow on rocks.
Light
Medusa Air Plants prefer bright indirect light, but they can tolerate three to four hours of direct sunlight daily. Ideally, you will want your Medusa Air Plant to receive 400 foot candles of light.
In most homes, this can be achieved in an eastern-facing window or slightly pulled back from a western or southern-facing window. However, Medusa Air Plants can still get sunburned if they receive excessively strong light, so monitor your Medusa Air Plant for signs of burning or discoloration.
Water
Watering is often the most significant challenge when it comes to watering Air Plants, particularly Medusa Air Plants. When it’s time to water your Air Plant, you will want to submerge it in water for several hours at a time.
Ensure that the water you use to soak your Medusa Air Plant is either filtered or tap water that isn’t chemically treated, as this can damage the leaves over time. Rainwater is also an excellent option for Air Plants if you can source it.
Do not use distilled water as it is entirely devoid of nutrients. Air Plants can only intake nutrients from the water as they do not get nutrients from the soil as most plants do. You also want to ensure that the water is at room temperature, so it doesn’t shock the plant.
Once you water your Air Plant, you will want to ensure that it dries out quickly, so the leaves do not rot. You should tip your Medusa Air Plant upside down so water does not collect at the base of the plant. You should ensure that your Medusa Air Plant completely dries out within four hours of soaking, whether hanging the plant or placing it on a paper towel.
How Often Should I Water My Medusa Air Plant?
Medusa Air Plants are more tolerant of less frequent watering than Mesic Air Plants, which naturally grow in more tropical environments. How frequently you water your Air Plant depends on your light and temperature conditions. If your Medusa Air Plant is getting plenty of light, soaking it once weekly should be plenty.
Medusa Air Plant Problems and Pests
A few issues can arise when caring for your Medusa Air Plant, and a couple of pests are known to frequent this plant.
Poor Air Circulation
Many people choose to keep Air Plants in decorative terrariums, which can lead to many problems. Air Plants, in general, need to have good circulation, so you will want to keep your Medusa Air Plant in a spot where the air is not stagnant.
Opening a window on a warm summer day is a great way to establish airflow and avoid keeping them in enclosed terrariums. Not only is good air circulation vital to keeping an Air Plant alive, but without it, they are at a much higher risk of rot.
Fertilizer Burn
In general, Air Plants are not very tolerant of fertilizers. In the wild, they derive their nutrients from the light and the water they absorb, so they are not used to getting loaded with nutrients from fertilizers. If you choose to fertilize, ensure it is very heavily diluted with water to be safe.
Excessive Handling
You should handle your Medusa Air Plant as little as possible, as excessive handling can cause damage to the leaves. Not only that, but the oil in our fingers can eventually clog their pores. While occasionally handling may be necessary for watering purposes, you should either wash your hands before handling your Medusa Air Plant or wear gloves to protect them.
Pests
One of the ways that pests can infest common houseplants is through the soil, and without that soil, Medusa Air Plants have become mostly pest resistant. You may encounter two types of houseplant pests on your Medusa Air Plant: mealybugs and scale.
Mealybugs are white, fuzzy bugs that can be mistaken for mold, whereas scale are brown scab-like bugs. If you spot either type of pest on your Medusa Air Plant, you should isolate it immediately and treat it with insecticidal soap or neem oil.
While it can be a bit easier to treat an Air Plant for either pest, treat the base of the plant under the leaves and fully dry out your Air Plant after treatment.
Tillandsia Caput-Medusae Life Cycle
Medusa Air Plants are slower growers, so it may take several years before they will reach the stage where they can flower and produce pups. However, you can encourage growth by giving them plenty of bright, indirect light and good air circulation. Once your Medusa Air Plant flowers, it will begin to produce pups; though eventually, the mother plant will die.
How Big Do Medusa Air Plants Get?
When fully grown, Medusa Air Plants can range from 5 to 15 inches (15-40 cm) tall. Their sizes will differ depending on the conditions they receive, so you may notice that your Medusa Air Plant will end up a bit larger if they receive bright indirect light consistently.
Tillandsia Caput-Medusae Pups
Medusa Air Plants will produce pups after flowering. This pup will start to grow at the base of your Medusa Air Plant. Once the pup reaches approximately half the size of the mother plant, you can safely detach it. Do so gently, so you don’t injure the mother plant or pup. Often they will come apart quite easily when the time is right.
Does the Medusa Air Plant Flower?
Medusa Air Plants will produce purple and pink flowers when given optimal conditions. Once it flowers, it will develop purple inflorescence for up to a year afterward. Depending on your conditions, you will likely see your Medusa Air Plant bloom in the early spring.
Should I Water My Air Plant While It’s Blooming?
Yes, you can water your Medusa Air Plant while it is in bloom, as long as you are careful not to soak the blooms themselves, as this may cause the blooms to rot. If your blooms have rotted, this could ultimately impact your Medusa Air Plant’s life cycle and ability to produce pups.
How Do You Make an Air Plant Bloom?
Blooming is part of your Medusa Air Plant’s life cycle, so while you can encourage blooms, sometimes waiting until the plant has reached maturity is all you can do.
You can encourage blooms in your Medusa Air Plant by giving it ideal light conditions, plenty of airflow, and plenty of time and patience. Medusa Air Plants are not fast growers, so give them time to grow and develop before expecting blooms to arrive.
Summary
Medusa Air Plants make wonderfully unique decorative houseplants that bloom under proper conditions. While these conditions may be slightly different from traditional soil-grown houseplants, once you get a handle on their care requirements, they will bloom and produce pups that you can keep for yourself or share with friends and family.
The most common problems that Medusa Air Plants face are poor air circulation, fertilizer burn, damage to their leaves from excessive handling, and pests like mealybugs and scale.
Ensure that your Medusa Air Plants are placed in bright indirect light, have proper air circulation, and get a weekly soak, and you’ll be sure to see a bloom in no time.