Description
About dragon bone wood
Dragon bone wood is a striking, porous natural wood with a ridged, bony look that gives it the name. It comes from the naturally petrified stem of the banana plant, and each piece has its own organic character.
We sell it in four sizes. Smalls are about 1 to 2 inches wide. Mediums are about 6 inches long by 2 to 4 inches wide. Extra-larges are about 10 to 12 inches long by 2 to 4 inches wide. All pieces are unique and vary in measurement.
It is safe for animal enclosures and aquatic use as well as decoration. So it is a familiar item to reptile and aquarium shops. It works for air plants for the same reason: it is inert and slow to break down.
The surface is full of pores and ridges, which gives wire and roots something to hold, and the pale, driftwood-like colour shows off green and blushing plants.
For a shop, a medium piece with two or three plants on it is a sculptural display. The extra-large is a centrepiece. Large orders of wood may carry additional ground shipping, billed separately.
Using dragon bone wood with air plants
Tuck plants into the ridges and hollows. They look as if they grew there. Fix them with Tillandsia Wire so they can be lifted for soaking. The porous surface holds a little moisture. That suits mesic plants like bulbosa and caput-medusae, but it also means the piece should dry fully between waterings. Mist the whole display or dip it briefly, then stand it to drain. Lay a medium or extra-large piece on its side on a table, or hang it from a hook by wire through a natural hole. The wood is light for its size.
- Fits: Two to four plants on a medium; caput-medusae, bulbosa, ionantha, small stricta.
- Mounting: Wire into the ridges. Glue small plants only.
- Watering: Dip or mist and drain. Let the wood dry between waterings.
- Feeding: Feed monthly with diluted TillyBoost Fertilizer in the dip.
- Placement: Bright indirect light, on a table or hung.
- Care of the wood: Inert and slow to break down. Keep out of standing water.
Browse more Air Plant Displays, pick plants from our Air Plants, or read the air plant care guide.
