The 13 Easiest Plants To Propagate From Cuttings And Grow For Free

For many plant lovers, propagation can feel like a daunting task. There is nothing more disappointing than waiting for a propagated stem to root, only to have it fail and have to be thrown out. Thankfully, knowing which plants thrive when propagated from cuttings can lessen the disappointment and allow you to multiply the greenery you have in your home and garden. The easiest plants to propagate from cuttings include many beloved houseplants, such as pothos and the ZZ plant, as well as classic perennials like chrysanthemums and hydrangeas.

When you propagate from cuttings, you need to remove some of the plant and place it in water or soil. It is a pretty simple process, and there are reasons why you may want to use this method over seed propagation. Firstly, the plants you propagate from cuttings will mature faster than if you had grown them from seed. Plus, they will be identical to their parent plant. So, if you have a special cultivar of fuchsia that you love, you can make a copy of it through cuttings. Oh, and propagation is free. You can have fun, grow new plants, and save money all at the same time!

The golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a popular houseplant choice for many people looking for a low-maintenance option. It is easy to grow and care for, and is one of those trendy big-leaf houseplants that brings a maximalist vibe into your home. Thankfully, golden pothos is just as easy to propagate from cuttings as it is to look after. You will need to take a stem cutting from the plant, cutting just below a node. Then, place your cutting in water, ensuring that the bottom node is submerged. Once roots are established, plant your cutting in soil. 

Another great, low-maintenance favorite, spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) famously provide you with a huge helping hand when it comes to propagation by producing babies. These babies, also called spiderettes or plantlets, appear after the parent plant has flowered and are a brand new plant for you to enjoy. Once they have a few leaves, you can cut off the plantlets and place them directly into potting soil. You can also propagate the spidettes in water, using small mason jars. This can help the plants develop a decent root system before planting them in the soil. 

Their blooms brighten up your home in fall and winter, but did you know that holiday cacti (Schlumbergera spp.) are super easy to propagate by cuttings? To double your holiday cactus, you will need to take cuttings from the plant in May or June. Carefully cut or snap off three to four segments of the stem and leave them in the shade outdoors for a few days, allowing the wounds to dry out. Then, place a few cuttings in the same pot, burying them 1 inch deep in well-drained potting soil. Put the pot in bright, indirect sunlight. 

With its glossy, waxy leaves, the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) brings texture and shape into your home. You can easily propagate ZZ plants from leaf cuttings by taking a single leaf from the plant. After removing the leaf, leave it for a few hours to allow the cut to heal. Then, push the leaf down into a moist potting medium, stem first. Your cutting will need to be kept moist and under indirect light, with rhizomes forming anywhere between one and nine months, depending on the environment it is growing in.

African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) is a small, cheery houseplant with a long blooming season. You can double these blooms through leaf cuttings, using healthy, mature leaves from the parent plant. Cut off the leaf stem 1 or 2 inches below where the leaf starts and place it in either water or a potting medium. After about a month, the leaf cuttings will begin to produce roots, and you will soon see new plants growing from them. It can take some time for new plants to become strong enough for separation and repotting. 

With its cascading stems that create a lush stream of greenery, the string of pearls plant (Curio rowleyanus) livens up your indoor space. You can propagate your string of pearls plant pretty quickly and easily, allowing you to make the most out of this short-lived succulent. Cut off 3 or 4 inches of stem from your plant's tip and remove some of the bottom leaves. Then, place it in a moist potting mix, covering the last few nodes with the soil. Keep the soil moist by misting the surface regularly. 

Rex begonias (Begonia rex-cultorum) are beloved by many due to their bold, colorful, and thick-textured foliage. Many varieties of begonias are easy to propagate, with rex begonias growing well when propagated from a leaf cutting. Cut off the whole leaf with an inch of the stalk that connects the leaf to the main plant. Then, place the stalk into a rooting medium. Rex begonia cuttings need light and warmth to grow well, so consider using fluorescent lights. Because rex begonias can regenerate from any plant part, you can also try to propagate them from wedge cuttings.

The iconic bright blooms of mums (Chrysanthemum spp.) are a welcome sight in any garden, and you can double them through propagation by taking softwood cuttings. In spring, cut off the fresh, leafy tips of one of your chrysanthemums, taking around 3 to 4 inches.  Then, remove the lower leaves from the cutting to give yourself a few inches of clear stem. Once you have prepared the cutting, you can place the stem in a soil mix of peat-free compost and perlite. Water your cuttings every day, and they should take root in a few weeks. 

The best time to grow hydrangeas from cuttings is early summer. You will need to cut 5 or 6 inches of stem from your hydrangea shrub, choosing one that has not flowered this year. Then, prepare the cutting by removing the leaves from the bottom half, only leaving a few at the top. If the remaining leaves are large, you will need to cut them down to around half their size. Once your cuttings are ready, place them in a mix of potting soil and perlite, ensuring that 2 inches of the cutting is covered.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is a great perennial to grow in your garden. You can easily multiply your lavender plants through softwood cuttings in summer and hardwood cuttings in late fall. If you are propagating with softwood, take a few inches of new growth from a healthy, established lavender plant and place it in a mix of vermiculite and peat moss. For hardwood cuttings, take a cutting that is 6 to 8 inches long and strip the growth off the stem, leaving some at the top. Then, cut just below a node and place the cutting in the growing medium. 

Beloved by pollinators and gardeners alike, bearded tongues (Penstemon spp.) come in a range of showstopping colors. If you have a penstemon plant that you want to multiply through cuttings, plan to do so in the summer. Take 4 to 6 inches from the tip of a non-flowering stem and strip the leaves from the bottom half, ensuring that a few nodes are exposed. Then, plant the cutting in a rooting medium 3 to 5 inches deep. Your penstemon cuttings should be placed in indirect light in a warm location, such as a greenhouse or a sunny windowsill. 

With 5,000 cultivars of different colors and sizes, there is something for everyone when it comes to fuchsias. Their iconic, droopy bell-shaped blooms are delicate yet bold, and they are perfect for propagation through cuttings for green-thumbed beginners. You can propagate them from softwood, but hardwood cuttings tend to be the easiest method for fuchsias. In the fall, take a cutting of around 6 or 7 inches from the woody stems of the plant. Then, place it in a peat-free compost. Keep them frost-free over winter, and new shoots should appear in spring. 

If you want to multiply your favorite dahlia plant, you can propagate it through cuttings. To do so, you will need to take healthy softwood cuttings and dip them in a rooting hormone. Then, place the cutting in a sterile rooting medium. The cuttings need to be placed in a humid environment, with the medium kept moist by spraying. Dahlias need 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and should be provided with 14 hours of light per day. Because of their lighting needs, you may need to place fluorescent or incandescent bulbs 4 to 5 feet above the cuttings.