About

Houseplant Propagation is an independent, free informational site about making new houseplants from the ones you already have. The guides are written for beginners: people with a plant on a shelf, a clean pair of scissors and a question about where to cut, in plain language.

What the site covers

• Propagation basics: what propagation is, what a node is and how to find one, the tools you need, how to make a clean cut and how roots form on a cutting.
• Stem cuttings: where to cut, tip, section and single-node cuttings, and air layering for thick stems.
• Leaf cuttings: leaf and stalk cuttings, leaf sections and succulent leaves, with the plants each one suits.
• Division, offsets and plantlets: dividing clump-forming plants, separating offsets and pups, and rooting plantlets on runners.
• Water propagation: rooting cuttings in water, which plants are good candidates, and moving water-grown roots into soil.
• Soil propagation and rooting environments: rooting in potting mix, rooting media, humidity, warmth and light, and what rooting hormone can and cannot do.
• Propagation problems: cuttings that rot, cuttings that sit without rooting, and the common mistakes behind them.
• Plant guides: plant-by-plant guides for pothos, monstera, snake plant, spider plant and ZZ plant.

If you are new to propagation, begin with Houseplant Propagation for Beginners, then read What Is a Node?, because most methods depend on finding one. To choose a method for the plant you own, see Which Propagation Method Suits Which Houseplant?. Two step-by-step guides to start with are How to Take Stem Cuttings and How to Propagate Plants in Water. If a cutting is already struggling, go to Why Cuttings Fail. Every guide is listed on the Guides page.

How the guides are written

Methods differ by plant. No single method works for every houseplant. A pothos roots from a piece of stem with a node, a snake plant can be divided or grown from a section of leaf, and some plants can only be divided. Each guide says which plants its method suits and which it does not, so you can check before you cut.

No fixed rooting timeframes. You will not find a promise that roots appear in a set number of days or weeks. How fast a cutting roots depends on the species, the season and the conditions it is kept in. The guides describe what to look for instead, such as new roots, firm stems and new leaves, and any time ranges they mention are rough guides, not deadlines. The “hands-on time” shown at the top of a guide is the time the work itself takes, not the time the plant needs.

Problems are explained as possibilities. The same sign can have several causes. A cutting that turns soft may have been kept too wet, cut with a dirty blade or taken from a weak stem. The guides list the likely causes and the checks that help you tell them apart. They cannot diagnose a cutting with certainty from a description, and they do not claim to.

No product endorsements. Tools, rooting media, rooting hormone and other supplies are described by type and not by brand, so you can use what you already have or can find locally. The site does not recommend, rate or sell products.

General plant care is deliberately brief. This site is about propagation. Watering, feeding and repotting established plants are mentioned only as far as a new cutting or division needs them.

The illustrations

The pictures on this site are original drawings made for the guides. They are not photographs of real plants. They are there to show an idea, such as where a node sits on a stem or how deep to set a cutting, and a real plant will look different in its details.

Plant safety and sources

• Toxicity statements link to their source. When a guide says a plant is listed as toxic or non-toxic to pets, it links to the ASPCA list of toxic and non-toxic plants. Check the list yourself for the exact plant you own, because common names are shared by different plants.
• “Listed as non-toxic” does not mean “edible”. A plant that is listed as non-toxic can still upset a stomach if it is eaten, and no guide on this site suggests eating any part of a plant.
• If a pet or a child eats part of a plant, contact a veterinarian, a doctor or a poison control service right away. Do not wait for symptoms, and do not rely on this site.
• Sap and blades. The sap of some houseplants can irritate skin, so wash your hands after taking cuttings, and take care with scissors, snips and knives.
• Follow the product label. When a guide mentions rooting hormone or another product, the label on the product you bought is the instruction to follow, including its directions on handling, storage and keeping it away from children and pets.
• General information only. The guides are general information. They are not professional horticultural, veterinary or medical advice.

What you can rely on

• We do not publish invented reviews, ratings or testimonials.
• We do not claim credentials, awards or qualifications.
• We do not promise results. Plants are living things, and some cuttings fail even when everything is done with care.

Corrections and suggestions

If something in a guide is unclear, looks wrong or links to a page that no longer works, please tell us through the Contact page. Mention the name of the guide and the section so the problem can be found quickly. Corrections are always welcome.