31/05/2026
A single leaf pulled cleanly from almost any of these fifteen plants contains everything needed to produce a new plant. No special equipment, no hormone powder required for most of them — just a shallow tray of barely damp compost and patience. 🌿
Fifteen plants that propagate from leaf cuttings:
Echeveria: place a healthy leaf on the surface of gritty cactus compost. A new rosette forms at the base within three to four weeks.
Sedum: the same method. Suitable species are straightforward — many will root even in very dry conditions.
Crassula (jade plant and related species): allow the leaf to callous overnight before laying on compost. Produces a small new plant at the base.
Graptopetalum: treat as echeveria. One of the easiest succulents for leaf propagation.
Kalanchoe: produces tiny plantlets along the leaf margins as the leaf matures — these can be separated and potted individually.
Bryophyllum: similar to kalanchoe, producing plantlets directly along the scalloped leaf edge while still attached to the parent plant.
Rex begonia: cut the leaf into sections, each including a main vein. Rest the cut edge on moist compost or in water. A new plant develops at each vein section.
Peperomia: a leaf with its full stalk in moist compost or water. A new rosette forms at the base of the stalk.
African violet (Streptocarpella / Saintpaulia): leaf stalk in water or compost. Small plantlets appear at the base of the stalk in five to seven weeks.
Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata): cut sections of leaf, marking which end was closest to the soil — that end goes into the compost. Note: variegated varieties will revert to plain green when propagated this way.
Pilea peperomioides: produces offsets at the base of a healthy mature leaf placed on moist compost.
Streptocarpus (Cape primrose): a common and rewarding British houseplant for leaf propagation. Cut a section of leaf retaining the central midrib. Place cut edge in shallow moist compost. Plantlets form along the cut edges.
Gloxinia: leaf sections with the central vein retained, placed on moist compost. Develop into complete plants over several weeks.
Hoya carnosa: slower than most on this list — stem cuttings are easier, but individual leaves with a node attached will root given warmth and time.
Tradescantia zebrina: leaf sections root readily in water or damp compost. One of the fastest on the list.
Important for all: place the leaf on the surface, not buried in the compost. Roots will appear before any visible above-ground growth. 🌵
