The Plant That Grows in the Driest Desert on Earth - Tillandsia landbeckii

In a region where it doesn't rain, roots are useless. Fog, however, can be abundant. So a plant that absorbs all of its moisture solely through its leaves is going to thrive in a climate where the majority of water is available in vapor form rather than droplets of rain. Such a set up explains why these two Tillandsia species - T. marconae and T. landbeckii - thrive here.
Check out this episode of CPBBD and observe the only genus of plant that's able to survive in the foothills of this part of the driest desert on Earth, 12 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean.
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[@killsalot78]

I was literally taking a bong rip right at the moment you said "I hope you're enjoying your bong rip" Thanks joey, I was!

[@lindsay6518]

ditto pipe hit.

[@scatrat7]

I felt so seen in that moment

[@JerkyJones100]

Lol i have been puffing on a pipe all vid 🤣🤣

[@yr3music326]

I should imagine Joey has grown a plant or 2.

[@aragon7164]

lmao same

[@EstorTuguita]

Some years ago I went to a talk from an American guy that was researching tillandsia here in Chile. It's amazing how well adapted they are. The little thingy has got a specialized cell to get water in while avoiding water out and they were trying to imitate that to get water from fog. The fog there is locally named "camanchaca" and some places get water from it with "atrapanieblas" (fog catchers) that they make with those plastic nets people use to have some shade. The researcher wanted to have an improved version using tillandsia technology. Sorry if there're too many mistakes, I'm bad with English but I was excited to see a video with things I like and kinda know from my country

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Nah mate; your English is bonza

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Also: didn't know that they were using biomimicry to improve the fog-catchers - good to know

[@junglie]

your english is better than most englishmans....

[@sietuuba]

@@pattheplanter Ooh that's a cool point of reference; it supports my best guess on why native English speakers sometimes suck at it.

[@jacklandismusic]

It’s always cool to see scientists taking notes from nature in order to improve human tech. I hope they’re able to make this idea work; it sounds like it could do a lot of good. Also, your English is so good that, at first, I thought you’d come to Chile from some English-speaking country, honestly.

[@Bolt99K]

15:50 Haha thats the most useful tattoo I’ve ever seen, that’s actually really rad. Forget the Dos Eqis guy, this is the most interesting man in the world.

[@ontherims3284]

He uses it in most of his vids, I've been on the look out for that tat. I just want to know how this guy appears in the most random places.

[@NixonJac]

@@ontherims3284 seems like hes mostly just likes travelling, but also theres a video somewhere that explains that he works for the railways so maybe something to do with that? idk tho, he'll tell us if he wants to someday i guess

[@byrdmain7511]

Ive never wanted to steal a tattoo idea but that one is useful.

[@rachiesayd9423]

@Will 'n Co I have actually seen guys with the same tattoo on their penis! Swear to God, honest truth!!!

[@holzmann8443]

You breathing and speaking in the vicinity is the most moisture these plants have seen in ages.

[@dylan8285]

In the Atacama desert back in 2017 they had a desert super bloom after they got record rain. ( for a desert)

[@CraftyChicken91]

Your videos make me feel like an actual living breathing human. Earth is awesome.

[@gabrielroberts1419]

CraftyChicken91 yessss, it’s a lil clarity in this insanity

[@BubblewrapHighway]

He talks about incredibly specific things, which are always more fascinating than big broad general ideas. "The more you examine a phenomenon, the more complexity is revealed."

[@striker851]

Walking around looking at clumps of grass has never been so entertaining

[@cgriggsiv]

That is some extremely and I do mean extremely barren landscape

[@mumbairay]

Reach rock beaches of Georgian bay. Pretty barren w prostrate cherries, quince and other random wackadpodles

[@demonorse]

Usually I avoid lengthy videos, but I find myself wishing these were a bit longer.

[@hellooutsiders6865]

Your videos brighten my day, man.

[@nonoluigi]

Beautiful, and so eerily quiet, save the wind . . .

[@stevemiller6766]

2 weeks ago I was in Taltal Chile. I was amazed at the desert along the road to the airport in Antofagasta. I grew up in 29 Palms Ca. in the 60’s and thought that was dry, it’s like a rain forest compared to the Chilean desert.

[@MrEiht]

"I refuse to die!" Quote from Ms Tillsandia

[@SDC12345sdc]

so great to see a relative of my hipster plant collection in the wild! Allways so trippy how it just sits around not wanting water for weeks. Makes alot of sense seing what its like out there !

[@CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt]

Always takes seeing a plant in habitat to understand how to care for it in cultivation. Granted, this is one of the MOST drought adapted tillandsia in existence, but most all of them still use CAM photosynthesis, I believe (same as cacti) and most can go quite some time without water.

[@SDC12345sdc]

Yeah nice! It looks like i need to do some more traveling to work out how to care for some of our more exotic and hard to grow vegies! We had one airplant that had only been sprayed with water a couple of times a month never soaked it. Gave it a soak water with orchid feed and it straight away flowered the first time. Im guessing they rely on their roots for the absorption of minerals? Or do their leavers lay against the dirt and soak it up?

[@CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt]

@@SDC12345sdc nah, they don't rely on roots for anything but anchoring to whatever they grow on in the wild. Everything they absorb they absorb through thr trichomes.

[@adamcrisis8442]

@@CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt Nice to know so I can stop soaking my GFs hipster plant and just mist it to more replicate what it needs.

[@Nhoj31neirbo47]

Just a week ago I had the pleasure of attending a talk by Wendell ‘Woody’ Minnich on his 20 years of in depth botany field work in the Atacama. He went into great detail on Copiapoa and also touched on Neochilenias, Neoporterias, Eriosyce, Eulychias, Trichocereus, etc.. He had a terrific photo presentation from locales such as Taltal, Esmeralda, Carrizal Bajo and the Guajillos Valley. You can find some of his talks on KZbin and elsewhere. He’s very active in conservation work.

[@rachiesayd9423]

Thanks for passing along that info! I will look him up on KZbin.....

[@rcs368]

I remember when you talked about going to Australia and Chile as great botanical destinations for some awesome botany videos. Congratulations on making both places! Make sure to mention your next dream destination, so we know where we will be sending you next. A great thanks to you and your channel for the education and entertainment you have provided.

[@Melanie-kk3vo]

This video helped me a lot! Im from the north of Chile and living between Tillandsia I didnt know how wonderful they are. When I go to the hills im gonna have a BIG EYE for them. The dessert is beautiful, we have to know it and take care of it. Thanks !

[@sarasmr4278]

"Tillandsia does it better than anybody else" would be a pretty good t-shirt

[@SEzzz53]

I cannot thank you enough. I learn so much more when I understand a whole system, than when I’m taught disconnected bits and pieces. Your videos make my life better!

[@dbrowne9341]

a pleasure watching, as always...close inspections of nature at its most creative..thank you!

[@Hazel-Hill]

It is quiet. It would be a good place to rest one's brain. I bet the stars would be spectacular and a bit foreign as well, being the Southern Hemisphere. So fun, thank you

[@cryptolio5273]

You know there's gonna be at least one kid who sees this and immediately tries to smoke their mom's air plant 😂

[@cough182]

I hope so much that you're right lmao

[@leeleeisgay]

@J d Y'alright bud?

[@BeholdItKnits]

@J d What are you on about mate? He's referring to weed not junk/opiates.

[@cooperolm9687]

@J d Weed ain't an opiate, my guy.

[@twowheelsclubseals]

@@cooperolm9687 I think jd here might be the junkie

[@kylereed5340]

When you said trychones I thought of the good old lazer lettuce

[@BrandiCouch]

Annnnd now I have a new favourite name for the devil's lettuce; thank you so much @Kyle Reed :D

[@tonyf512]

@@BrandiCouch say no to gods green glands

[@ICUP570]

Lmao Lazer lettuce 😂😂

[@soberhippie]

Whacky tabackie

[@shepdgc.og.soldier7732]

Trichomes.

[@Sondergarden]

You're blowin my mind with these rocks joey

[@MSPatterson]

Probably got a deflationary surface there, all the fine grain sand blows off the surface, and leaves behind the heavy crystals. Given how long its been a desert, you might get a pretty concentrated layer of coarse material on the surface, even if it were derived from an extrusive rock that was mostly finer grained.

[@ValeriePallaoro]

Yes. I'm interested in the round-ness of some of the volcanics though. It looks like water washed, however it also looks like pumice in the video. And I've never seen 'bomb's so it could be those. Any ideas?

[@MSPatterson]

@@ValeriePallaoro I don't know enough about the geology of the Atacama to do anything other than guess. But, aeolian weathering processes can produce similar rounded shapes over time, as air is a fluid. And there's probably some freeze-thaw stuff going on too. Another possible process for the placement of those large rocks that he thought might be volcanic bombs would be deposition via debris flows associated with eruptions, and then exposure via erosion... but it's hard to know without a lot more info about the geologic history of the region, topography, etc.

[@dougalexander7204]

Amazing landscape. Thank you for taking us along, and please stay awesome.

[@benjammin3714]

Woah crazy! I traveled there last year this time and photographed a bunch of the plants and wildlife! Looks like it's time to learn more about all these wacky af plants. Hopefully you make it all the way up to +4,000ft! I remember there's a walking trail up the main road from Putre, before you hit the monument.. There is a hot spring wet area, and across the road a trail to early human shelters, lots of Azorellas and viscachas hopping all over them.

[@angelosasso1653]

Such a cool place! Life is playing on hardcore difficulty here.

[@Brian-ti6tt]

Really appreciating your vids and podcasts lately! Thank you so much! I have no idea how you post so often.

[@jamesdriscoll9405]

The trichomes look like they have nucleation points to condense the fog into droplets.

[@ValeriePallaoro]

I think that's why they are called 'tri-chomes' They are three pointed with as-you-say nucleation points to direct the fog into the stem

[@taubrow4973]

I AM enjoying my bong rip, thank you.

[@hiz-n-lowz1577]

Hello from the USVI, You rock man! subbed

[@victorsaloum9731]

Man I hope you go viral

[@bobidos123]

Thanks man. I learn more from you than any plant studies I've been through.

[@anon6056]

I totally GASPED when you said jurassic period. WOW. That's so cool!!! It's so heartwarming seeing the tilandsia growing there especially knowing more about the place it grows in. :)

[@Verisetti]

Hey, thanks for the video.

[@jackwood8307]

Educational and entertaining, thanks!

[@maryseeker7590]

Enjoyed this thanks for taking us there👍🏻

[@mckennajr]

Howdy Tony. I think that what you'r e doing is fantastic. On the off chance of you seeing this, (since I can't find a way to contact you directly) I'm going to be in Southern California for the next four years, and would be more than happy to be of some help to you in your efforts, even if it's spending a day with a hoe digging holes for new trees!

[@failforward8519]

I wonder what kind of thoughts/ideas you might have related to biomimicry? Your explanations about the *functions* of plant structures are always illuminating for me. I am an engineering student, and when I am given new thoughts on *function*, I immediately think about ways to recreate it, synthetically, for uses to help people and/or mitigate the destruction that people have wrought on the planet. The trichomes on Tillandsia, for example, piqued my interest. Maybe recreate them on a large surface to capture humidity from the air to give a water source to people who are lacking fresh water in dry climates. Maybe adjust their structure slightly so they don't catch microdroplets of water from the air, but catch microplastics from wastewater. This isn't the first time I've been inspired by you in this way, but it's the first time I had the balls to type a fuc$ing paragraph about it in your comment section. Even if you don't get back to me, thanks for the inspiration :)

[@magicjohnsins]

there are already many companies which are making slight alterations to dehumidifiers to make the water collected potable, but they're very expensive. However, if you removed water from the air in a place such as this that the plant has evolved to live in over 150 million years, it will have much less water for itself to survive, and there's surely other stuff we don't see living here as well. How dramatically would that type of technology alter this environment?

[@robertbogan225]

They exist? They look like the skeleton of a tree and collect water vapor. At least ive seen them in some video about getting water to people in africa.

[@rachiesayd9423]

@@robertbogan225 in Israel (where much research is performed on available moisture) they use chicken netting strung out horizontally to capture fog and make it drip water in larger quantities.....

[@zeauz]

perfect time for a new video for me to enjoy my night

[@anon6056]

That was really special, thanks for sharing

[@peachtrees27]

Thank you KZbin for suggesting I watch this. Subscribed!

[@manwithbeers]

I have no idea why I found this video fascinating. Thank you.

[@theboxcaradventurer1874]

Landbeckii is what I call out to my crazy aunt when she takes off in her prop plane.

[@potatoefacedfox]

thank you for talking about their roots and how they're racing against being buried, it let me visualise how the wave of plants moved over time

[@AGDinCA]

This was incredibly interesting. I am intrigued by your general knowledge in both geology and botany, especially since you are a hobbyist. At least, that's the impression I get. I love to research topics I know little about, in order to make myself better.

[@Tadesan]

The audio is awesome. Nice being away!

[@scumbag_poon6027]

Love your videos

[@CreditR01]

Just picked up a shirt. Happy to support.

[@peterfenwick2540]

"unsustainable agriculture" will be the most accurate thing I will hear for a while.

[@brandoncraig4668]

your knowledge of the natural world is outta this world

[@thetwopointslow]

Nice pics on iNat man. Very cool opportunity to get to see this landscape!

[@huskysings9536]

Such a sick video! What beautiful tillandsia!

[@cosmolewandowski7860]

Just found this channel. KZbin please 🙏 do not block this guy. Screw your algorithm, this is solid GOLD!

[@bushpushersdaughter]

I wish you and I could do the Vulcan Mind Meld. You are just too special !

[@kensmith5694]

Don't anthropomorphise plants. They really hate that.

[@IIrandhandleII]

Glad to see you made it to atacama!!

[@andypampreen8906]

I wonder if you could use those roots to calculate the relative humidity at that specific patch of airplant, as well as its age. That would make for an interesting study.

[@madhatte73]

god damn this is cool, thanks man

[@bobgrowsbud2003]

I am enjoying my bong rip thanks

[@jcjensenllc]

Well done. Stay well!

[@suhrim6666]

Tillandsia are amongst my favorite plants.

[@Fishtory]

You've gotta take us to the Namib Skeleton Coast, Next! Please. and danks!

[@andyatmosphere]

These videos are awesome!!

[@KB4QAA]

I had a course on epiphytes in college. One of the most interesting classes. There are so many fascinating adaptations and interesting plants. Living in North Florida it was funny to see Spanish Moss growing on power lines and guy wires; such barren sites.

[@jasminewood395]

A multi decade time lapse of those tillandsia creeping along would be great ! The time scale represented would be mindblowing

[@ValeriePallaoro]

What a great idea. I had trouble figuring out which way it was 'growing' ie moving. He kept saying downwards but then showing the roots ... still can't figure it out

[@jasminewood395]

@@ValeriePallaoro he was there, ill take his word for it that they were creeping down but that only works for so long until you reach the Lower limit so if its creeping down then there must be new ones sprouting up high to continue the cycle.

[@jasminewood395]

I like to think it might look like a cuttlefish flushing with those creeping bands of color

[@LifeEnglish]

Fascinating stuff

[@alanamccool7409]

This is amazing, thank you.

[@cynergy4]

Haha! How did you know that's what I was doing while watching! I have a black thumb with air plants, hehe! That looked like some kind of sodium something or the other. Looks like a great place to star watch

[@mike1863]

This is such a cool channel.

[@rivitraven]

That tillandsia almost looks like the spanish moss we get here in georgia. Only difference it actually lives on the ground.

[@lateknightlaboratory5821]

Awesome videos.

[@susaneirthug415]

At 19:00 the soil texture looks like when the sand is moist then gets freeze dried . It just happened here in my garden in Indiana . One day warm drizzle next day dry and freezing.

[@simonolsen9995]

Anudder great vid. Thanks Tones. I was surprised you didn't have a shot at the dicks who have to drive and ride over that sort of country, leaving ugly scars that might last for centuries and cause erosion. Utterly intimidating landscape though... very moon-like. Perhaps a glimpse into our future? Anyway. must be cool stargazing location, but bugger me hard to get a campfire pulled together. But, I'd most like to be there when all those pineapples come into fruit from one horizon to the other. That must be truly excellent!

[@user-vk7cp1op9p]

Impressive! Thanks for seeking these out where there is no other, anything! You made my day. Impressive! How is it the same color as the ground? It is a monotone landscape where you only see plants made for here. Sun. No sun. Makes no difference without water. It is without!

[@rickmartyn9170]

Almost all ground plants in Australia drink at night.Nobody talks about it but it extremely significant.The more leaf area the more water per hectare

[@larryl4881]

The zoom ups of those air plants are creepy

[@ziggyc3004]

Are you headed down to Santiago. It would be interesting to see it go from that desert landscape and transition into a more luscious environment.

[@johnbillson3767]

I just vaporized some of my special trichomes a while before watching this video :)

[@sazji]

Holy crap, I was thinking about a lot of possible plants but not a Tillandsia! But makes sense with the fog. That’s actually how Lithops get most of their water.

[@ulalaFrugilega]

This s the most beautiful episode…

[@CHAS1422]

earth before the encroachment of the biosphere must have looked much like this. Another great video thanks.

[@thedudegrowsfood284]

Spring on Mars, with random garbage. Thanx for the vid.

[@geoffbreen2386]

Amazing opportunity. Further north in Peru and Ecuador you have other species doing the same thing sitting on the sands. Facing the ocean to absorb the fog and "walking" towards the ocean over time. Most of these plants only have roots in the seedling stage, then never again.

[@joemontgomery8740]

Love your videos bro. You are a wealth of fuckin knowledge.

[@rachiesayd9423]

25:25 possibly desicated scat? I've seen that before somewhere... There must be some animals in the area, perhaps just passing through? Seems like it was pinched out a long long time ago!!!

[@mickeythemaltipoo3756]

Bro you might be discovering new shit out there ,you should take samples and I'm sure this stars are incredible at night if possible can you do some more footage of that .

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

That trichomes moneyshot was awesome. Looks like fur

[@kobaltocr6927]

wwwooowww another Tillandsia world very differents from my Costa Rican tillandsias

[@teresapoudrier494]

Homer Simpson : "Mmmmmmmm Glandular Trichomes" .

[@teresapoudrier494]

@@releventhurt Hahahahahaha

[@teresapoudrier494]

When the politicians are done, the earth will look like this place.

[@colinunwin7722]

If only we could put all the politicians on their own island. Then the rest of us could get on with living without their political bullshit, soundbites and scapegoats.

[@tacoface7047]

did you even listen to why this place is so barren?

[@keithklassen5320]

Eh. They're just running interference for us consumers and the corporations that have driven us to the consuming frenzy we now experience.

[@everettduncan7543]

@@tacoface7047 the cactus probably died because of climate change-related fog issues

[@jessewilson8676]

Imagine how one plant would look a week or two after taking a piss and s#$& on it.

[@jacklandismusic]

You talking about how very few plants are evolutionarily equipped to “cut it” in the desert reminds me of how plants grow on mountains and in certain flat areas (not sure if you’d call ‘em plains or what). I was in the Canadian Rockies a few years back, and it was interesting to see how tall so many of the pines were in the lower areas, but as we got further up, they were so short. Same deal in upstate New York, in the Adirondacks. You get these real stout, ragged looking pines. They can’t grow too tall, or else the wind just knocks out new vertical growth. They end up looking very wide, with very sparse needle coverage. And yet, they’re still doing just fine. Interesting to see how location will change a species.

[@kweeshaatekneepunam2507]

17:33 😂 i feel called out bro dang

[@ionracas8743]

18:35 "Look at that THICC, THICC coating". I see a man of culture as well 😎👌

[@ym2173]

I was going to say they look like “air plants”. Thanks for the vids.

[@jacklandismusic]

Tillandsia plants are definitely very weird. I’d only ever seen them in person at garden centers, until pretty recently. Last year, on our annual beach trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I took about a three-hour walk. It was mainly a search for new fishing spots to try, but I ended up walking so far south down the island that I started to come across Spanish moss in the trees. It was probably put there to add to the charming, southeastern aesthetic by the people who own the country club nearby, but it had clearly spread a good deal since then. I’m not sure how harmful Spanish moss is as an invasive species, though it didn’t seem like it was causing much trouble. Very cool to see in an uncontrolled setting, either way.

[@cmpe43]

Beautiful thanks now gfys!

[@sweetbluealien]

Tillandsia, very nice! 🌑🌱👀

[@oldsalt394]

I'm not sure how far away you from the habitat for Copiapoa, as well as Trichocereus atacamensis but would love to hear you ramble on them