17 Houseplants That Are Crazy Easy to Propagate

The view from my desk is a lovely one, looking out at my camellias beneath the canopy of a giant live oak. But, while I love my window to the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that I take the most pleasure in. There sit glass vials in different shapes and sizes nestled between larger specimens. These hold the beginnings of what will eventually become a whole new generation of houseplants. 

I love sharing plants. It gives me great joy to pass along tidbits of my favorites. The ones that are easy to care for go to friends who are new to cultivating houseplants. More challenging bits are passed on to fellow seasoned plant lovers. While propagating the more difficult houseplants is incredibly gratifying, it’s the easier ones that end up changing hands most often. 

You can certainly root cuttings of your golden pothos in moist soil, but water is the preferred method. Take a few snips off the ends of stems, including at least three or four nodes. Strip the leaves from the two nodes closest to the cut end and submerge them in water. It’s that simple. I like to use clear glass tubes so that I can see the root development, but any container will do the trick. 

Silver satin is not a true pothos but a plant named Scindapsus pictus. Its care needs and growth habits are so similar, though, that its common name is silver satin pothos. The leaves are grayish green, with metallic silver markings. Different varieties may have more or less of this shimmery variegation. 

Like its common namesake, it’s incredibly easy to root cuttings of this pretty plant. Clippings root easily and quickly in water, and the foliage is so beautiful. I love to pass this along to other plant lovers. Vines can reach ten feet long and have a tendency to climb if they have something to attach to. 

There is a reason African violets are such popular little plants. Their soft, fuzzy foliage is lovely, and if they have just enough bright light, they can bloom year-round. Their shimmery flowers brighten up any space. Mine are happiest in a southwest-facing window. 

You can propagate your African violets in two ways. Some of them are excellent at creating offsets. I have a miniature violet that produces three or four babies every year. I keep one and pass the others along. I’ll have about 8 here in my third year to share with others. Divide them when you re-pot and put them in their own containers.

You can also root leaf cuttings in water. It takes longer than pothos, but if you leave them long enough, tiny leaves will form around the base of the stem. Fine root hairs extend from the bottom. Wait until they are strong enough to support themselves before potting them in soil. 

Echeverias and most other succulents are great for sharing because these houseplants are crazy easy to propagate. Not only will they grow entirely new plants from a single leaf cutting, but they readily produce offsets that are simple to snip and re-pot. There are so many beautiful varieties of echeveria. My personal favorite is ‘Perle von Nurnberg.’ 

Place your echeveria in a sunny spot for a beautiful surprise. The leaves will blush when slightly stressed by light or cool temperatures. Don’t root these in water. They rot easily. Instead, place your cuttings on top of loose, moist cactus potting mix and lightly spray it from time to time. 

Hoyas are interesting and beautiful, with their pendulous umbels of fragrant, waxy blossoms. I’ll admit that I struggled with these initially. They are epiphytes, similar to orchids, so they need a coarse potting mix that has excellent drainage. Their roots are sensitive to moisture. 

Fortunately, if you end up with a case of root rot, you can take stem cuttings from healthy portions. These root easily in water, so you’ll be back on your feet in no time. I find that treating them like an orchid or an anthurium is what they like best. 

Not all philodendron houseplants are as easy to propagate as the heartleaf type. This is one of my all-time favorite plants to cultivate and propagate. It has such gorgeous foliage with leaves that unfurl with pink tones before they deepen into smooth green hearts. This one is easy to grow, similar to pothos, and works well in a hanging basket. 

Water is the ideal method for multiplying your heartleaf philodendron. Just like pothos, take cuttings with at least four leaves, strip the bottom two nodes, and pop them in a container and a bright spot. Direct sun can be harsh for them, so filtering is better. 

Most orchids are easy to propagate once you get the hang of their care. That, however, is the tricky part. Many orchids are temperamental and difficult to cultivate outside tropical conditions. Some of them need enough humidity to make your wallpaper peel. I find a sunny, filtered bathroom window is the best spot for most of them.

Epidendrums are on the easy end of the houseplant propagation spectrum—they largely prefer neglect. They have low water needs and tolerate a wide range of light conditions. They’re even flexible about humidity. They are sympodial, so they produce new canes, each with its own small root system. You just cut a couple of them away from the parent plant gently and pot it on its own. 

Arrowhead vines are a cinch to care for and even easier to propagate. My first one was a freebie from someone who sold me some other cuttings. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how quickly it rooted and started to put on growth. Once established, they need little care and prefer filtered light and moist soil. 

Water is the best way to multiply your arrowhead vine. Take cuttings, just like heartleaf and pothos, and pop them into some water. They root quickly and can live in the water for a long time but won’t grow to their full potential. Pop them into some soil once they have some roots, and watch them take off!

Spider plants are versatile and adaptable, growing in a wide range of temperatures and exposure levels. You can move them inside and out easily without shocking them, as long as you keep them out of direct sun for any length of time. Their variegation will let you know when they like the exposure, as the lines will be nice and crisp and high contrast. 

Spiders reproduce on their own, sending out long stems with pups at the end. When they are happy, they do this quite bountifully. Snip the pups off of the stem and pot them on their own. It’s as simple as that! 

I adore my rex begonias for their large, flamboyant, and colorful foliage. Swirling leaves boast shades of red, green, black, pink, white, and even silver. They are just so wonderful. Begonias won’t grow from stem cuttings, but they do have tuberous roots that you can separate. 

Cuttings are the easiest way to multiply your Christmas cactus. Pinch off four or five segments or leaves and allow them to callus overnight. Then stick them right into lightly moist potting soil. If you want to dip the soil end into some rooting hormone, that will speed up the process. You’ll see small leaves budding at the top of your cuttings as the new plants take root. 

Coleus is a nice indoor houseplant, and it grows quickly outdoors in the summer. The amount of exposure they need depends on the variety. Some like more light than others. Their bright and colorful foliage is the main attraction, though they do produce small flowers that are typically white or pale purple. 

Coleus may be the absolute easiest plant to propagate. Indoors and out, I’m always surprised by how resilient they are. Snip off a stem and stick it into some moist potting mix. You’ll have roots and new growth in record time from this tropical beauty. 

Jade trees are slow growers, so taking cuttings is the hardest part. Even handling them gently can result in knocking off their fleshy leaves. If this indeed occurs, don’t sweat it. You can plant those leaves and end up with new, tiny trees over time. 

If you’re removing leaves for this purpose, select the plumpest ones you can find. If you’re trying to salvage some that got knocked off, no worries. Most will still root. Let the leaf dry for about 24-48 hours. You want a callous to form over the end. Then, dip it in the rooting hormone and place it on top of the fresh cactus potting mix. Don’t stick it down into the soil, just nestle the cut end gently into the top of the soil. 

Mother of thousands is a type of kalanchoe. These are great succulents that flower during the cooler months and require very little maintenance. The attractive, scalloped leaves make this a nice conversation piece. If you can encourage them to bloom indoors, you’ll love the flowers. 

I may have jumped the gun in saying that coleus is the easiest houseplant to propagate. Mother of thousands is so easy that it can be problematic. All along the leaf margins, tiny plantlets form, and the mother plant lets them drop when they are ready to be independent. Wherever they fall, they take root and grow. I highly recommend not allowing them to do this in your garden if you live in a warm climate. They can be aggressive spreaders.

Wandering Dude goes by different names, including inch plant and zebrina, after its species name. It’s a member of the spiderwort family, and under the right conditions, it produces the sweetest little purple flowers. 

This creeping vine will set down roots wherever it lands. The roots grow from each node and attach quickly to the soil they touch. Take some cuttings and lay them on top of the soil, or trim off the lower leaves and stick the stem into some moist potting mix. These root and grow quickly, and they have such beautiful variegated leaves. 

Snake plants are a cinch to care for in all ways. In fact, it’s easier to kill them with too much care than with neglect. They are succulent and sensitive to water, so make sure you keep this one in a loose potting mix and a well-draining container. 

When you re-pot your snake plant, divide sections of leaves with roots attached. This should be simple and straightforward when you are looking at your unearthed roots. Gently separate portions, they will grow independent of one another.

I wanted to add this one in because while it’s not the absolute easiest to propagate, it’s also not the hardest. It’s such a pretty plant and easy to care for that multiplying it simply makes me happy. These are wonderful hanging plants and have a succulent nature.

There is a trick to propagating a string of hearts, and if you do it right, it’s basically foolproof. Cut lengths of vines, and then snip to each side of sets of leaves. The set of leaves should be attached to the node, with the stem cut off from either direction. So it will be a short piece of stem with a node in the middle and a leaf to either side.