If you want to produce new plants at home from plants you already have, then using stem cuttings is usually the most common way to do this; however, there are a number of plants that can be propagated from leaf cuttings.
Growing plants from leaves can be a fun and rewarding experience, and it allows you to expand your plant family without spending any money. In this article, we explore which plants are easy to grow from leaves.
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Can Plants be Propagated from Leaf Cuttings?
New plants can be grown in so many ways, with stem cuttings or growing from seed being among the most common routes for gardeners to take. But did you know that one of the easiest ways to create new plants from the plants you already own is via leaf cuttings? While not all plants can be propagated in this way, there are many common house and garden plants that will produce entirely new plants from a single leaf.
Plants to Propagate from Leaves
The majority of plants that can be propagated from leaf cuttings include succulents and semi-succulents. These plants contain all of the DNA required to reproduce the entire plant in just a single leaf, making them incredibly impressive. The best plants to propagate from leaf cuttings include:
Snake Plant
- Botanical name: Dracaena trifasciata (formerly Sansevieria trifasciata)
- Common names: Snake Plant, Mother-in-Laws Tongue, St George’s Sword, Viper’s Bowstring Hemp
- Plant family: Asparagaceae
- USDA hardiness zone: 9 – 11
- Mature height: 6 feet
- Mature spread: 4 feet
The Snake Plant was botanically known as Sansevieria trifasciata up until 2017. However, this is no longer the correct name for it. The proper botanical name for the Snake Plant is Dracaena trifasciata. However, you will still find garden centers and nurseries selling these popular plants under their previous name.
These plants are native to the arid regions of Central and West Africa and are now widely grown around the world as houseplants. In their native habitats, they can reach heights of up to 6 feet, though indoors, they will rarely exceed 3 feet tall. The Snake Plant has a strong architectural look, with thick, firm, and fleshy leaves that grow vertically in clumps.
You can easily grow a new Snake Plant from a single leaf cutting to create a whole new selection of baby plants. Remove a healthy leaf from your existing plant with a sharp life, and divide this into 4-inch lengths.
It’s important to ensure each piece of leaf is kept in the upright position so that the right side is planted downward. Otherwise, the cuttings will fail to root. Snake Plant leaves can be propagated in soil or water, and they typically root very easily in a short space of time.
To propagate in soil, use a sandy, well-draining mix with the bottom inch of the leaf buried into it. Keep the soil lightly moist and on a warm windowsill; roots should appear within four weeks. To propagate in water, sit the leaf cuttings in a small glass of water and wait for roots to appear. Change the water every week, and when the roots are developed enough, you can plant the cutting and its root system into soil.
ZZ Plant
- Botanical name: Zamioculcas zamiifolia
- Common names: ZZ Plant, Zuzu Plant, Zanzibar Gem, Emerald Palm
- Plant family: Araceae
- USDA hardiness zone: 10 – 12
- Mature height: 4 feet
- Mature spread: 2 feet
The ZZ Plant is a slow-growing evergreen that grows from rhizomes beneath the soil. It hails from eastern Africa and South Africa and is also a much-loved houseplant in cooler regions. The popularity of this plant is largely due to the fact that it is so easy to grow, in fact, many consider it to be almost impossible to kill. It thrives on neglect and needs little water and little light. It produces firm, gently arching stems of ovate, thick emerald leaves with a glossy surface.
To produce a new ZZ Plant, all you need is a healthy leaf cutting from an existing plant. Remove the leaf from the stem using a clean pair of scissors, and then plant the cutting with the exposed part of the leaf down in a dish of soil mix.
The soil should be kept moist but not wet to encourage the leaf to send out roots. As a very slow-growing plant, the ZZ Plant can take a long time to root, so patience will be necessary. Once roots appear, you can move the baby plant to a larger pot and continue care as normal.
Kalanchoe
- Botanical name: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
- Common names: Kalanchoe, Florist’s Kalanchoe, Flaming Katy, Christmas Kalanchoe
- Plant family: Crassulaceae
- USDA hardiness zone: 10 – 12
- Mature height: 1 foot
- Mature spread: 1 foot
There are over 100 different types of Kalanchoe, but the most commonly cultivated genus is the Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. This originates from Madagascar but is also widely grown outdoors in hot climates and as a flowering houseplant in cooler regions. The Kalanchoe is considered to be a succulent or semi-succulent since it has fleshy leaves that store moisture, though they are not very thick. This plant thrives in sunny, warm conditions and can survive drought.
To propagate a Kalanchoe through leaf cuttings, remove a healthy leaf from the stem of an existing plant using clean scissors. Next, put the leaf in a brown paper bag or some dry folded kitchen towel, and leave it for a few days. This will allow the cut part of the leaf to callous over, avoiding rot when the leaf is subjected to moisture in the next step.
Once calloused over, lay your leaf on top of some gritty, well-draining soil mix, or a cacti soil mix. Spray the soil with a water mister every few days to keep it very lightly moist; this will encourage root growth and minimize the chance of rot. Roots should appear within two weeks. Let the roots grow stronger for up to six weeks, and then plant the cuttings and their root systems in a new pot.
Jade Plant
- Botanical name: Crassula ovata
- Common names: Jade Plant, Money Plant, Lucky Plant, Money Tree
- Plant family: Crassulaceae
- USDA hardiness zone: 10 – 12
- Mature height: 10 feet
- Mature spread: 6 feet
The Jade Plant is native to South Africa, where it can reach heights of up to 10 feet in its natural habitat, though rarely exceeds 6 feet when grown indoors. It is a multi-branching succulent that takes the shape of a tree as it ages. The rounded leaves of the Jade Plant are thick, smooth, and fleshy. They hold moisture which allows the plant to survive long periods of drought. These plants grow best in bright light, but they can also tolerate some shade.
To produce a new Jade Plant from an existing plant, gently tug the leaves away from the stem until they break off. The leaves will need to be callous over to help prevent rot, so leave them in a dark and dry spot for a few days to allow this to happen. Once calloused over, the leaves can be placed on top of some damp potting soil, with the calloused ends slightly tucked in. Set these in a bright and warm spot for two weeks, and avoid watering.
Once roots have formed, you can add a little water to the soil and then wait a further two weeks for the soil to dry out before watering again. Once the roots are well established, pot up your mini Jade Plants in small individual pots.
Echeveria
- Botanical name: Echeveria sp.
- Common names: Echeveria, Hens and Chicks,
- Plant family: Crassulaceae
- USDA hardiness zone: 9 – 11
- Mature height: 2 to 24 inches
- Mature spread: 2 to 12 inches
Echeveria is a genus of succulents that take the form of rosette-shaped plants. They typically have thick, fleshy leaves, and are relatively low-growing. There are many different varieties of Echeveria, whose leaves range in color from white-gray to lime green and orange. Echeveria plants grow easily, and they readily propagate themselves by sending out new plants in the form of pups or ‘chicks’. However, you can also propagate Echeveria through leaf cuttings.
To propagate Echeveria via leaf cutting, use a sharp knife or scissors to slice off one of the lower leaves, or gently tug it away from the stem. Avoid cutting away the uppermost leaves as this will ruin the look of your rosettes. Place the cut leaves on a piece of dry paper and set them in a cool spot for several weeks.
Roots will begin to form from the cut part of the leaf, and tiny new leaves will emerge. When the root system is developed enough, place the new plant in a pot of damp, well-draining soil. The original leaf cutting can be removed or it can be left to die back naturally, as it won’t form part of the new plant. Instead, the tiny new leaves which grow from the end of the cutting will become the new rosette.
