How to prune air plant

Trim brown tips any time; remove mother plant as pups mature. Trim browned leaf tips with sharp scissors cut at an angle to match the natural taper — avoid blunt flat cuts. Once pups reach one-third the size of the mother, they can be gently twisted off or left to form a clump.

Rarely — cosmetic trimming only as needed. Air plants (Tillandsia) need virtually no pruning. Trim brown or dry leaf tips with clean scissors at a slight angle to mimic the natural leaf shape. After flowering the mother plant slowly dies; remove spent bloom stalks and outer leaves as they dry. Pups (offsets) at the base will replace the parent plant.

Trim browned leaf tips with sharp scissors cut at an angle to match the natural taper — avoid blunt flat cuts. Once pups reach one-third the size of the mother, they can be gently twisted off or left to form a clump.