How to Hang a Bromeliad Plant on Driftwood

Choose a piece of rot-resistant driftwood, such as cypress, cedar or redwood. Use natural, unfinished wood that has not been painted, stained or preserved.

Soak the driftwood in water for several days to leach salts. Mix a 25 percent bleach solution (one part bleach to three parts water), and soak driftwood overnight in the solution. Air-dry driftwood for several days before attaching the plant.

Attach the hardware to hang or display your mounted bromeliad. Affix a sawtooth picture hanger to the back, drill a hole through the wood to thread a small chain or attach eye bolts to hold a wire hanger.

Select an epiphytic bromeliad species, not a terrestrial species. Consider the size of your plant in proportion to the size of your driftwood, and allow for plant growth. Start with small “pups” (or offshoots) for easier mounting.

Place a dot of a waterproof adhesive to the driftwood’s surface where you want to secure your plant, if you’re mounting a small tillandsia. Press the plant lightly onto the adhesive and secure it to the wood’s surface. Use nylon pantyhose or a staple gun to secure larger bromeliads, such as aechmeas or canistrums. Straddle the staples over the roots and staple directly into the wood. Cut a leg from a pair of pantyhose; loop it around the driftwood from back to front and criss-cross it over the plant. Pull the loose ends of the nylon behind the driftwood and tie them securely.

Hang your driftwood-mounted bromeliad in a brightly lit location but not in direct sun. Remove the pantyhose when the plant’s roots cling to the driftwood.