Propagation is probably my favorite part of having houseplants. I believe plant karma is the realest karma there is, and there’s no better way to build yours up by always having houseplants on hand to share with friends or other plant lovers. Not only is it good for the soul, but cutting your plants (when done correctly) is actually great for your plants, too!
If you’re interested in propping some of your existing plants or looking to snag some new ones to practice your methods, here are some of my favorite, nearly-failsafe plants that are a beginner propagator’s dream. While most of the plants on this list are easy for propping, we also included 4 that have (in our experience) proved to be super finicky to prop!
Heartleaf Philodendron
My first houseplant was a 4″ Heartleaf philodendron. It’s 4 years old and its longest vine is now over 30′ long – it’s truly the plant that doesn’t quit! This guy has lived through all of my plant “learning experiences,” ranging from overwatering to underwatering, rot and months of total neglect. He’s been both in direct sun and stuck in a dark corner.
The Heartleaf philo is one of the most basic, straight forward plants and I love it with all of my heart (get it? Heartleaf). One of my favorite things about him is how much I’ve been able to prop and share him. Every member of my family, as well as like, 10 of my planty friends have one of my propped philos.
Simply stick a single node in water, wait 2-3 weeks, and they’re usually good to move to soil.
If you’re interested in getting into houseplants, specifically aroids, this is the best plant I can recommend for both care and propagation. Best of all, they’re extremely affordable and readily available. If you find success and enjoyment in Heartleaf propagation, trailing philos come in many forms that are equally easy to prop (though can come with a much higher price tag).
Golden Pothos
Pothos in general are notorious for their quick growth, resilience, and ease of propagation. While I’ve found this to be largely true of all of my Pothos (Pothi?), the Golden Pothos has been truly infallible in my propagation efforts. Unlike other plants, my Golden Pothos props have survived (accidental) total submersion in water. While this would typically lead to rot, the Golden Pothos is the only plant I’ve found that is completely resilient.
Not only are they super proppable, Golden Pothos are one of the only plants that can sustain itself without any light. Read: windowless bathrooms and basements with no artificial light source – it’s crazy.
These are arguably the most available and affordable plants on the market, too. Walk into any grocery store and you’re likely to see a Golden Pothos in the garden section. Beautiful, impossibly easy to grow, and dirt cheap (pun intended), there’s literally no better plant to start your propagation or houseplant journey.
Monstera Deliciosa
I don’t think I have ever had an unsuccessful Monstera propagation effort. These guys are both super easy and resilient. It was an amazing reminder of how resilient they are when I found the propagation I forgot about for three months, completely dry, thriving with tons of new growth!
For the beginner plant enthusiast, the Deliciosa is an extremely safe, rewarding bet. Be mindful of how big these guys can get, though! Given the correct conditions, cutting will even encourage new growth.
Note: The most difficult part of monstera propagation can be identifying sustainable nodes, the growth point necessary for a plant to grow. If you’re unsure of where the node is, take a cutting with two leaves – you’re guaranteed to have at least one node. Submerge about half of the stem of the uppermost leaf in water and wait for roots to appear, generally in about 2 weeks.
Note 2: While the Monstera Deliciosa is extremely easy to propagate, don’t confuse it with the other exotic (read: expensive) types that are highly sought after. As easy as the Deliciosa is for propagation, the Albo, Aurea and Thai Monsteras are hard.
Burro’s Tail
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance plant for propagation, the Burro tail is the plant for you. These guys have long tendrils with little nubs for leaves that fall off if you even look at them rudely. While the plant itself is extremely delicate, every leaf that pops off is hearty and proppable. New stems often sprout from areas of leaf breakage, too!
I have Burro leaves in nooks and crannies of my home that, despite never having touched soil or water, have sprouted pups. I literally can’t get these to stop growing.
To propagate the Burro’s Tail, all you need to do is gather your dropped leaves and throw them in a container with some semi-moist soil. If you remember, lightly spritz the soil with some water once every few weeks, but they’ll still grow without. Place your container in any medium-light area and forget about them for months. Come back and find that you have 100’s of new Burros.
Watermelon Peperomia
I love Peperomia propagation because of how versatile their prop methods are. These might be the most versatile plants that I’ve actually experienced propagation success with.
If you have a full pup ready to water propagate (several connected stems + leaves), you can stick the base of the plant in water and pups will sprout endlessly in a week or so!
Only have a stem/leaf cutting? NO PROBLEM. Stick the stem in water and pups will emerge at base (under water!).
If you don’t even have a stem, no problem! Even these leaves are proppable. Submerge the part of the leaf where the stem was connected in water and wait for new pups to emerge!
Perhaps the coolest method and a personal favorite is the half leaf. If you only have a leaf and want to try out a new method, cut it in half and stick it it in moist soil. Pups will emerge all along the calloused edge.
While peperomia propagation is a bit more fragile than some of the other plants on this list, pups emerge so quickly and easily that I typically have 10+ new peperomias emerging at any given time. They also regenerate so quickly that it’s not a huge loss if a few leaves don’t propagate – all you need is one successful leaf in order to yield tons of pups
Snake Plants
While Snake Plants have a rap for being some of the easiest plants to care for and keep alive (I agree!), I’ve found the opposite to be true about their propagation. My Snakes are extremely hearty and produce pups like crazy, but despite my best efforts, I’ve found minimal success in propping a Snake plant from a leaf.
The leaf-in-water method is straightforward and supposedly failsafe, but more times than not I end up with nothing but mush. This propagation method also is notorious for taking a long time to yield roots (let alone pups). I’d would argue that while the Snake plant is the perfect plant for a beginner to grow, it’s not a plant for propagation novices.
Spider Plants
Like Snake plants, Spider plants grow pups/babies which are the easiest/most straightforward route of propagation. However, I’ve had extremely limited luck growing Spiders from babies. About half the time they deteriorate before they can establish roots in new soil.
It’s difficult (to say the least) to plant Spider plants without roots, i.e from baby cuttings, so it’s pretty crucial to root them in water prior to moving them to soil. This is where I run into issues – it’s a total toss-up on whether or not your plant will root or not. I’ve chalked it up solely to plant genes; some plants are just better at rooting than others.
Spider plants are often billed as being extremely easy plants to grow and perfect for the beginner, as in they can withstand any light conditions, watering issues, or other common beginner errors. In my experience, these are the opposite; they’re very sensitive to light conditions, fragile, and prone to rotting. They’re equally difficult to propagate.
The one thing that Spider plants definitely have going for them is their cost. These are some of the lowest-cost plants on the market, so they’re great if you’re looking for an ultra-low investment plant to play around with.
Aglaonema
The Evergreen Aglaonema I got from Home Depot 5+ years ago is easily one of my favorite and lowest maintenance plants. It’s lived in the same pot since I purchased it and has grown in size like, 20x. I water it maybe once a month and it is always happy!
As much as I love these guys and would love to grow more, I’ve never successfully been able to prop one from a cutting – ever. Despite my many efforts, I’ve always ended up with a pile of rotted mush when I try to prop them. I’ve tried sphagnum moss, perlite, water – you name it.
The primary propagation method for Aglaonemas is breaking off pups or splitting. I’ve had some success in doing this, but this method requires disturbing the root ball and ultimately doesn’t leave my plants as happy as they were initially. I much prefer rooting nodes in water, which is possible with Aglaonemas (but very difficult). 0/10 would not recommend.
Overall, plant propagation is a super easy and rewarding hobby. Despite taking a bit of trial and error as well as a bit of patience, it can yield endless plants for you to share with friends and family (or sell, if you’re so inclined).
Do you propagate your plants? What are your favorites to propagate, and what methods do you use? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credit: thegreenmadhouse
