The Truth about Levitating Plants
Is this really a zero gravity environment?
Though this may take away the mystique that caused you to fall in love with levitating plants, the simple answer is NO. A space-age shaped pot suspended in air by magnetism is no more "ZERO GRAVITY" than an old-fashioned hanging planter. Think about it. If this was truly Zero Gravity, the plant would float up and out of the pot, right?
Well, nonetheless, these levitating air plants by "LYFE" and other manufacturers are pretty cool gizmos to have floating around your house. In fact, they are the first living thing to make it onto my Doohickey list. You can buy them online from a variety of sources, including Amazon. http://amzn.to/2pLivKy
Basically, the opposing magnetism of the base and the pot work to create the zero gravity effect. And to make the plants easier to lift, they require no soil, thus eliminating a lot of weight. Contained within the pot are Air Plants. If you're not familiar with them, they are actually quite common in the south and perfectly suited for this botanical magic show. And since the magnetic LYFE device gently rotates them, they get 360 degree exposure to sunlight all day long.
MORE ABOUT AIR PLANTS
The scientific name for Air Plants is Tillandsia. It's a genus comprised of over 600 species, most of which can grow without soil. Frequently they attach themselves to other plants. In fact, I'm always plucking these off my oak trees (right before running them over with my lawn mower).
What makes them the perfect space-aged plant is that most species of Tillandsia absorb airborne moisture and nutrients through their leaves rather than through a complex root system. Therefore, if you find yourself cultivating these indoors, remember to spritz them with water a few times a week, or even let them soak in water for a while before returning them to their decorative display.
So are these zero gravity planters really a miracle of modern science? Not really, but definitely a miracle of modern marketing with a pretty sleek design and a hypnotic effect that can really ease your tensions.
Whether or not they are worth the price is up to you.
