How to Care for an Ionantha Druid Plant

Choose your mounting medium. Mounting medium can be wood, stone or clay pottery. Wood should not be the treated variety and driftwood should be soaked in fresh water for a few days to remove the salt. You want something that will not hold water. Your Druid may also be hung, using fishing line.

Tie fishing line or craft wire around the plant and media you've chosen. It will eventually root onto the media and you can release the line or wire. The druid looks like a clump that leaves come off of, or it may be two or three clumps. Place the fishing line or wire between leaves, around the clump and medium, and tie it in a knot or twist the wire together tight enough to hold it to the medium, but not so tight that it will cut the clump.

Place your ionantha druid in bright light but not direct sun light. If you place it outside, hang it from a tree branch under the tree, or on a covered patio or porch. Indoors, the plant should be near a sunny window or on a window sill with filtered sun. These plants do best outdoors.

Water indoor plants two to four times a week, depending on heating or air conditioning, which can make the air dry. Placing a pan of stones and water under the plant, but not touching it, will give it some extra humidity. You can also use a spray bottle to mist the plant once or twice a week. Outdoors, water two to three times a week with an extra watering during dry periods. Completely saturate the plant and then allow it to dry thoroughly before watering again. If the leaves start to curl up, the plant needs more water.

Place the plants in a well-ventilated area. The moving air outside will dry the plant out between waterings and keep it healthy. If there is not enough ventilation indoors to completely dry the plant in a day, use an oscillating fan on a low setting to move the air around the plant.

Use a 17-9-26 liquid fertilizer made for Tillandsia or a good-quality liquid orchid food once a month. Dilute in the spray bottle with water (according to manufacturer's directions), and spray onto the plant.

Bring outdoor plants in if the temperatures are going below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for any length of time. They will tolerate temperatures near freezing for a short period, but temperatures in the 70s are ideal.

Wait for the plant to bloom. Some will bloom in a week, others may take a year or two. Do not use formulas that induce blooming as they can damage the plant and shorten its life span.