EDIT: Upon further research it appears to be a "Tillandsia" varient of Bromeliad from South America (well over 2000 different species of Bromelaids) and it's an air plant, so it doesn't really need that box of dirt at the bottom
I remember seeing it in Costa Rica. It grows like bromeliads wildly on tree trunks. It doesn't need the dirt if grows wild in its native environment, otherwise it needs dirt.