Look, Ma, No Soil! A Cavite-Based Plant Grower Enjoys Propagating Tillandsias

CACTI AND SUCCULENTS are common favorites when it comes to houseplants that many, especially those who are only beginning to show interest in plants, consider to be undemanding and easy to grow.

- Patricia Bianca S. Taculao

However, a plant grower thinks otherwise. She has found another variety that has proved to be versatile while retaining its decorative properties.

Jen Veran-dela Cruz, the owner and creator of a local plant store known as “My Piece of Earth” propagates Tillandsia, popularly known as air plants, because it can thrive well without soil.

“You can stick them pretty much anywhere and they’ll manage to grow without a problem–as long as you take [proper] care of them, of course,” Veran-dela Cruz said.

Air plants are members of the Bromeliad family which have adapted to rely on their leaves instead of their roots when it comes to absorbing nutrients and moisture. They thrive well in almost any climate but, like most plants, still need to be cared for.

Veran-dela Cruz sources the varieties that she propagates from sellers or bazaars in Quezon Province, Davao, Cebu, and even Singapore.

Best-selling varieties include Tillandsia cotton candy, known for its bright pink flower resembling cotton candy on a stick, and Tillandsia bulbosa which has tendrils shooting out from a thick, round base.

Established in 2017, My Little Piece of Earth started as a hobby for Veran-dela Cruz, who was a new mother at the time.

“We moved from Metro Manila to Amadeo, Cavite and I didn’t know what to do at the time. I started planting to make the most of the green surroundings in the area,” she said.

She initially started selling cacti and succulents as advised by some of her friends, but she later got hooked on Tillandsias because of their versatility and their unique characteristic of not needing soil.