5 Popular Houseplants You Can Propagate in a Cinch

To use the leaf cutting method, you’ll need:

Step 1: Cut leaf at base

Choose a healthy leaf from the snake plant, making sure the leaf isn’t damaged in any way. Using shears or scissors, cut off the healthy leaf near its base.

Step 2: Prep the leaf cutting

Allow the cut end to dry for about two days until the callus forms.

Step 3: Plant leaf cutting

Fill planter with fresh potting soil, place the callus end into soil. Water plant thoroughly every week, checking to make sure the first two inches of soil are moist. You can use a soil probe to ensure the soil has the right amount of water—too much and the roots may become waterlogged. Roots should start to form in about one month, Morganthaler says.

Rex begonia

Rex begonias (Begonia rex-cultorumare) are known for their interesting foliage ranging in color from splashes of red to a purplish hue. Their small size renders them great as terrarium plants, and they really thrive in high humidity. Despite their exotic look, these plants are quite easy to propagate. “I think new hobbyists are sometimes surprised at how easy propagating begonias can be,” says Jennifer Coates of Jenn of the Jungle. “You don’t even need a stem or a full leaf; instead, you can propagate half of a leaf.”

To use the half-leaf cutting method, you’ll need:

Step 1: Cut slits

Cut leaf from the plant. Flip the leaf so the back is facing up, Coates advises. This will help you find the veins. “Cut slits along the veins, using a boxcutter,” she says. But be sure to make a half-inch cut across four or five of the larger veins, as opposed to the smaller veins. These cuts will be where the new plantlets will grow.

Step 2: Pin the leaf

Lay the cut leaf flat on slightly damp soil in a pot. To ensure the cuts in the leaf are touching the soil, space sewing pins evenly across your plant, gently pushing them through the leaf into the soil so as not to tear the leaf. Work with as many pins as you need to keep the leaf in place. Avoid placing a pin through any major leaf veins, as this will prevent that vein from rooting.

Step 3: Create a humidity zone

Cover the pot in plastic wrap to give your leaf plenty of humidity. Water the soil once a week but mist the leaf itself every couple of days to ensure the roots will grow.

Rabbit’s foot fern

Of all the ferns in the Polypodiaceae family, rabbit’s foot (Davallia Fejeensis) is one of the more commonly found houseplants in people’s homes. It gets its name from the fuzzy stems, or rhizomes, that grow on top of the soil. If placed in a hanging pot, these rhizomes tend to grow over the edge, adding additional dimension to the plant’s look. Patti Teachout, a production manager at LiveTrends Design Group in Winter Garden, Florida, says rabbit’s foot ferns can be propagated from rhizome cuttings.