How Our Houseplants Propagate in the Wild

Propagation has become a topic of interest for houseplant enthusiasts everywhere – whether to increase our own collections, share our houseplants with others, or to put our green thumbs to the test. Whatever the reason, there are few feelings quite as satisfying as successfully creating an entire living plant using only the leaf, stem, or root of another.

And it’s not only us, as houseplant lovers, who benefit from propagation either – it gives our plants the chance to spread their species that little bit further; And in fact, it is their desire to do so that means we are so often successful in propagating without a lab or a degree in botany.

Outside of our homes our houseplants live a very different life, one in which their main goal is to keep their family line going, and many plants use adaptations developed over centuries to ensure the continued survival of their species.

In some habitats, like the desert, the weather is harsh – and for many desert-dwelling plants the task of producing flowers, having them pollinated, and setting seed is so arduous, it is the last one they perform. In other environments, like tropical rainforests, herbivorous animals and insects can be the biggest roadblocks for plants trying to survive. Their best hope is to grow and reproduce quickly, to avoid becoming a lavish dinner before they are able to grow flowers and seeds.

All to say, producing seeds as a means of propagation is not always the most efficient, and it often relies on pollinators, weather conditions, easy access to the right nutrients and of course, it takes time. Sometimes, even if everything else goes to plan, seeds can fail to germinate and a plant must wait a year or even longer to try again. If a plant is continually unsuccessful, the survival of its species could be at risk. Because of this, many plants have developed other ways of ensuring their genetic line can live on. Propagation by vegetation, runners, roots and other existing parts of the plant are some of the most successful, and therefore, the most popular.

Since this type of propagation is so consistently successful, it is also the most popular method among houseplant lovers and in houseplant nurseries. We also use this method at Forest to grow some of the plants we sell in the shop. Of course, not all houseplants are willing to make it so simple for us, but there are a few that are relatively fail-proof – and these plants are also the ones that reproduce much more easily in the wild. Some of our favourites include:

Chlorophytum/ Spider Plants

Spider plants are well known across the globe – and many of us growing them will have attempted to pawn a pup off to a friend or family member at some time. But while most of us grow spider plants in hanging pots, they actually grow in their native habitats as terrestrial plants, meaning they grow in the ground rather than up in tree canopies, as most other hanging plants we cultivate do.

The infamous pups which grow from the mother plant and give spider plants much of their appeal (as well as their common name), are actually runners, as also seen in strawberry and peppermint plants. Runners, known botanically as stolons, are stems that grow from a mother plant and create new, genetically identical plants at their ends.

The runners, growing close to the soil, are able to root themselves into the earth beside the mother plant – allowing the species to reproduce asexually and cover large areas without too much difficulty.

It is because of their willingness to do so, and the speed at which they are willing, that they are so easy for us to propagate and at home. Once the pups begin to grow from the mother plant, most keen-eyed owners will spot small roots forming at the bottom. Once the pup is removed from the mother plant, it can be placed into a small bowl of water to allow the roots to grow before potting on. For those who feel a little less patient, however, a pup with big enough roots can simply be potted as is, and will easily take root and grow in situ. 

Echeveria

Echeveria are perhaps one of the most common and popular genus of succulent. Their rosette-forming habit, unique set of colours and distinctive patterns have made them well loved among succulent enthusiasts – who enjoy collecting as many different varieties as possible.

When it comes to propagating an Echeveria, however, it really is as easy as dropping a leaf. As many of us will know, members of this genus are willing to grow as many plants as possible to continue their genetic line – and each time one of their brittle, succulent leaves falls off, a new small plant can be found growing at the base of the leaf less than a week later. In fact, these succulents are so keen to keep going that plantlets will even often grow on the stem at the site of the fallen leaf.

In the wild, this kind of propagation is essential. Alongside their water-storage adaptations their ability to re-grow when a part of the plant is damaged or removed is incredibly useful. It means that a particularly destructive animal who might pick at, remove, or eat parts of the plant could even be doing it a favour, allowing it to reproduce and regrow with vigour, spreading itself further within it’s habitat.

At home Echeveria are easily, and often accidentally, propagated. Those who have knocked a brittle leaf off or tried to propagate by leaf cutting will have been pleasantly surprised by how quickly and effortlessly they have been successful in creating a new plant. Those who are keen to multiply their collection only need to fill a wide pot with free-draining compost and lay some of the succulent leaves on top, spraying occasionally with water so the leaves don’t become dehydrated.

Ceropegia/string of hearts

Ceropegia really are perhaps the more unique name on this list because, unlike other houseplants, their method of self-propagation happens via roots rather than stems or leaves.

Although we tend to grow them in hanging pots as trailing plants, string of hearts actually grow in the wild as scrambling, succulent vines. The vines climb up surfaces such as rocks and tree trunks, using miniature roots that grow along the stems for support. Ceropegia stems can grow to be up to four metres long, which is part of the reason it is so important for them to be able to propagate themselves. A severed stem could otherwise mean incredible loss of energy if it happened close to the base of the plant.

Once it has reached a certain age, tubers may start to emerge along the stem of a Ceropegia. These tubers (like potatoes), are modified roots that store starch and water – and, much like a potato discarded onto a compost heap, Ceropegia tubers have the ability to grow entirely new plants on their own. It is this ability that allows them to propagate themselves far and wide in the wild.

As they scramble along, the tubers that grow on the stems far away from the original plant begin to take root and form a new plant altogether. At home we may notice that a Ceropegia we have been growing for a some time has started to form rounded woody tubers along it’s stem. Since Ceropegia also have the wonderful ability to regrow with vigour after being heavily pruned, we are able to propagate with the tubers and give our Ceropegia a new lease of life at the same time. All we have to do is trim the stem before the tubers, and replant them into soil, where they will take root and we can enjoy an entirely new plant.

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There are many species of plant that do well when propagated, Epripremnums, Philodendrons, Monsteras, cacti, succulents and so many others do the most to make sure they thrive when they are trimmed and propagated; And we, as houseplant enthusiasts, are given so many wonderful opportunities to experiment with propagation. And if our best laid plans don’t quite work out, we’ve still got a beautiful parent plant to nurture.