Roots Made Easy: The Best Plants To Grow From Cuttings

If you’re a beginner, starting with the right species is key. Some plants are practically begging to grow, while others are a bit more finicky. In this guide, we’re going to look at the absolute easiest plants to grow from cuttings that will help you turn your home into a jungle in no time.

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The Unstoppable Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

If there were an award for the easiest plant to propagate, the Pothos would take gold every single year. These trailing beauties are famous for being “unkillable,” making them the perfect starter plant for anyone nervous about their green thumb.

To grow a Pothos from a cutting, you just need to find a “node.” The node is that little brown bump on the stem where a leaf meets the vine. Cut a few inches of the vine, making sure there is at least one node included. You can pop these directly into a jar of water on your windowsill. Within a week or two, you’ll see white roots shooting out from the node. Once the roots are about two inches long, you can transplant them into potting soil.

The Classic Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Spider plants are incredibly generous. Once they reach maturity, they start sending out long runners with tiny “babies” (plantlets) hanging off the ends. These babies look like miniature versions of the parent plant, complete with their own tiny nubby roots.

Propagating these is almost cheating because the plant does 90% of the work for you. All you have to do is snip the baby plantlet off the main runner and tuck it into a small pot of moist soil. Keep the soil damp for the first few weeks while the roots establish themselves. Before you know it, that little baby will be producing its own runners.

The Fragrant Rosemary Herb (Salvia rosmarinus)

Moving into the herb garden/’>garden, Rosemary is a fantastic candidate for cuttings. While it takes a little longer than a Pothos, it’s a very rewarding process because you end up with a plant that smells amazing and tastes even better.

When taking a Rosemary cutting, look for “softwood” growth. This is the flexible, green part of the stem, not the woody, brown base. Snip off about 4 to 6 inches, strip the leaves off the bottom half of the stem, and dip the end in a little honey or rooting hormone if you have it (though it’s not strictly necessary). Stick it into a mix of sand and potting soil. Rosemary likes drainage, so make sure the pot doesn’t stay soggy.

The Colorful Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides)

If you want instant gratification and a pop of color, Coleus is your best friend. These plants come in wild shades of neon pink, deep purple, and lime green. They are also incredibly fast growers.

Coleus cuttings root so fast in water that you can almost watch it happen. Take a stem cutting about 4 inches long, remove the bottom leaves so they don’t rot in the water, and place it in a glass. You’ll usually see roots appearing in just a few days. They are very dramatic, so if they start to wilt, just give them a bit of water and they’ll perk right back up.

The Hardy Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

Succulents are a bit different when it comes to cuttings. The Jade plant is one of the most popular because it’s sturdy and lives for decades. Unlike the leafy plants mentioned above, Jade plants can be grown from a single leaf or a stem cutting.

The “secret sauce” for succulent propagation is patience. When you snip a piece of Jade, you can’t put it in water or soil immediately. You have to let the “wound” dry out and form a callus for a couple of days. If you stick a fresh, wet succulent cutting into the soil, it will likely rot. Once it’s callused over, simply rest it on top of some succulent soil, and eventually, tiny pink roots will find their way down into the earth.

The Versatile Mint (Mentha)

Warning: Mint is a bit of a garden bully because it grows so well, but that makes it perfect for propagation. If you’ve ever bought fresh mint from the grocery store and had a few sprigs left over, you can actually grow a whole new plant from those leftovers.

Put your mint stems in a glass of water, and they will sprout roots faster than you can say “mojito.” Mint loves water and doesn’t mind a bit of shade, so it’s a great plant for a kitchen windowsill. Just be sure to keep it in a container, or it might take over your entire backyard!

The Elegant Tradescantia (Inch Plant)

Tradescantia, often called the Inch Plant because it seems to grow an inch every day, is another “water and go” variety. Its purple and silver striped leaves make it a standout in any room.

These plants have very brittle stems, so they often “self-propagate” in the wild when pieces break off and land on moist soil. You can mimic this by taking a cutting and either putting it in water or pinning it directly onto the surface of a pot of soil. It’s a very resilient plant that fills out a hanging basket beautifully.

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Conclusion

Propagating plants from cuttings is one of the most sustainable and budget-friendly ways to expand your garden. Whether you’re starting with a simple Pothos in a jar of water or trying your hand at succulent leaves, the process teaches you so much about how plants actually function. It’s a lesson in patience and the resilience of nature. Remember to keep your tools clean, give your “babies” plenty of indirect light, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Not every cutting will take, but when they do, it feels like a total win.

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Unique FAQs

Can I use tap water for my water-propagated cuttings?
Most plants handle tap water just fine, but if you have very “hard” water or high chlorine levels, let the water sit out overnight before using it. This allows the chlorine to dissipate, which is gentler on those brand-new, sensitive roots.

Do I really need to buy rooting hormone?
For the plants listed above, you don’t really need it. They are naturally high in auxins (growth hormones). However, if you are trying to propagate “hardwood” plants like roses or fruit trees, a rooting hormone can significantly increase your success rate.

How long should the roots be before I move the plant to soil?
A good rule of thumb is to wait until the roots are at least 1 to 2 inches long. You also want to see some “secondary roots” (little roots growing off the main roots). If you move them too early, the plant might struggle to suck up enough water from the soil.

Why did my cutting turn mushy and black?
This is usually a sign of rot caused by bacteria or lack of oxygen. If you’re water propagating, make sure to change the water every few days to keep it fresh. If you’re soil propagating, ensure the soil is moist but not soaking wet, and that your pot has drainage holes.

Is it better to propagate in the spring or winter?
Spring and early summer are the gold standard for propagation. This is when the mother plant is in its active growth phase and has the most energy. You can propagate in winter, but expect the roots to grow much slower due to the lower light levels and cooler temperatures.

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