Do you know about Indoor Plants that Grow From Just One Leaf? Let’s learn how to propagate them easily!
You just need a pot (of soil or water) and a single leaf with a bit of petiole or cutting to propagate most of the plants on this list. Isn’t it easy?
Indoor Plants that Grow from Just One Leaf
1. Pothos
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum
To propagate pothos from a leaf, remove a healthy one with a bit of a petiole and node attached to it. Plant it in a seed mix or regular potting mix, and watch it become a new plant in no time!
2. Philodendron
Botanical Name: Philodendron species
This grows the same as pothos – Cut a leaf with a short stalk, place it in water or potting soil and it’ll be a new specimen, soon.
3. Arrowhead Plant
Botanical Name: Syngonium podophyllum
Arrowhead can be propagated by cutting off a mature leaf and placing it in moist perlite or vermiculite. Do note that this way, it will be a stand-alone leaf plant, not the actual one. You will have to take a 4-6 inches long cutting along with a leaf to make it a full-grown plant in the future.
4. Jade Plant
Botanical Name: Crassula ovata
Take a healthy leaf and allow it to dry for 5-6 days (Callus). Once done, place it in a pot with a cut section buried in the soil – do not cover the leaf with the growing medium. Moisten the soil and make sure it gets plenty of bright and indirect light.
Growing the plant this way will take a long time, though!
5. Rubber Plant
Botanical Name: Ficus elastica
Take a mature, healthy leaf and place it in water (You can also plant it directly in a pot filled with a well-draining medium) until roots form. Once roots are established, transfer them to a pot with well-draining soil.
6. Wandering Jew
Botanical Name: Tradescantia zebrina
An easy propagator, wandering jew can grow roots from just a leaf node (Snip a single leaf with a node attached to it) and place it in water or moist soil. You will soon spot new growth!
7. African Violet
Botanical Name: Saintpaulia
Propagating these plants from leaf cuttings is an easy way to create new specimens identical to the parent plant. All you need to do is take a healthy leaf with a petiole. Plant it in a mix of soil and perlite. Keep it moist until roots develop.
8. Snake Plant
Botanical Name: Dracaena trifasciata
Take a sharp knife or scissors to cut off a healthy mature leaf from the soil’s base. Once done, make a V-shaped cut in the bottom of the leaf to will expand the surface area of the cut edge to the growing medium.
Let it dry for a day, and then plant the cut end in a well-draining succulent mix; you can also divide the leaf into segments to grow multiple plants.
9. Pilea
Botanical Name: Pilea species
Take a leaf with 2-4 inches of stem cutting attached to it, below the node. Plant it in a well-draining potting mix or water. It will form roots in 3-4 weeks.
10. String of Pearls
Botanical Name: Senecio rowleyanus
To propagate, gently remove a leafy strand and lay it on cactus soil. New growth will sprout along the strand in a few weeks. Once established, cut the sections and repot them to grow a new string of pearl plants.
11. Rex Begonia
Botanical Name: Begonia rex
These stunning begonias grow new specimens from 2-3 inches leaf cutting – just plant the section in soil or water and in 4-6 weeks, it will form roots. Post which, you can plant it in a pot.
12. Fiddle Leaf Fig
Botanical Name: Ficus lyrata
Another indoor plant that can be grown from leaf cuttings is fiddle leaf fig. Take a healthy leaf with a bit of petiole attached to it and place it in a glass of water – it will form roots in a few weeks and then will grow as a individual leaf plant.
13. Dwarf Umbrella Tree
Botanical Name: Schefflera arboricola
To propagate it, take a 4-6 inches long stem along with the single leaf, below the node, and plant in potting mix. Water well and make sure it gets plenty of indirect light exposure.
14. Peperomia
Botanical Name: Peperomia species
To propagate them, choose a healthy leaf along with petiole, and insert it in the growing medium (Water or soil). Roots will emerge in 4-6 weeks.
15. Nerve Plant
Botanical Name: Fittonia albivenis
Fittonias can be propagated by planting a stem, with one or two leaves into moist potting soil. Roots and new growth will form within a few weeks.
16. Heart Shaped Hoya
Botanical Name: Hoya kerrii
Its heart shaped leaves can be grown for a long time in small pots, making them a great contender as coffee table plants. Simply take a healthy leaf and plant it in a potting mix – it is that simple! Do remember that it will grow as a single leaf plant.
Benefits of Taking Petiole with the Leaf
Petiole (part of stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the plant stem) can play a vital role in the roots formation, as it contains a concentrated section of growth cells (meristematic tissues), especially while growing plants that grow from a single leaf.
While planting the leaf, ensure the petiole is buried in the soil as it will help the leaf to develop stronger and more extensive root system. It also helps the leaf to intake moisture and nutrients from the soil, which also aids in the critical phase of root development.
Lastly, with petiole attached to the leaf, it offers a secure leaf placement in the propagation medium.
