These floating bonsai trees are a moment of sci-fi zen

Levitating speakers and lightbulbs are so passé: when it comes to floating household items, this year it’s all about vegetation. Kicking off this definite new trend (which is definitely going to happen) is the Air Bonsai — a floating bonsai tree that levitates with the help of a magnetic base. The product is currently in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign, and has already raised more than $150,000 of its original $80,000 goal.

For $200 you can get an Air Bonsai starter kit, including a magnetic base 15 centimeters across by 6 centimeters high, and a mossy ball (the “little star”) that will be the home for your plant. The ball floats 2 centimeters above the base and has a sponge insert for planting (the trees themselves are not provided due to export problems). For $230 you can upgrade your floating planter to one made out of pumice, and there are a number of hand-made planters and bases also available in limited supply — although most of them have already sold out. These are pricier, starting at $500 and going all the way up to $10,000 (which includes a trip to the company’s Japanese headquarters).

Some of the different base and planter variants. (Image Credit: Air Bonsai)

Air Bonsai presumably comes with a few limitations though. For example, apart from having to keep the magnetic base plugged in at all times, there’s sure to be a weight limit for the plants themselves. Watering your flower or shrub would also have to be done with care — you wouldn’t want to water it while it was floating and spill liquid onto the magnetic base. Still, that’s a small inconvenience for having an actual tiny floating tree living and growing in your house.