How to Propagate Succulents From Leaves or Stems

Succulents make a unique design statement and are a great choice for a beginner plant parent or anyone with a busy schedule. These sun-loving desert plants have thick, fleshy leaves that retain water and tolerate infrequent watering, making them good low-maintenance houseplant options. Another reason to love succulents is that, once you learn how to propagate them, you can “grow” your collection exponentially.

Propagation is the process of taking the leaf or stem of an existing succulent (or any plant) and coaxing it to grow into a new plant. We enlisted plant experts to help you through the simple steps for expanding your succulent collection so that you can propagate your heart out.

Propagation Basics

Simply put, propagation is how plants reproduce. There are several propagation methods, and the best one to use depends on the type of plant you’re working with. Most succulents can form new growth from cuttings of their leaves or stems, creating an entirely new plant from an existing one.

The Best Time to Propagate

You can propagate succulents any time, but to increase your odds of success, consider trying it in spring or summer when light—your plant’s most important resource for growth—is most abundant. “With most plant-related maintenance, the best time to propagate would be during the ‘grow season’,” says interior plantscaper Stephanie Horton. “However, if the conditions in your region allow, you can propagate successfully year-round.”

The Best Succulents to Propagate

Some succulents are easier to propagate than others, and some are more successful with one method (leaf or stem) than the other. Here are some of the easiest succulents to propagate:

• Many sedum varieties (leaf and stem)
• Aeonium (stem)
• Echeveria (leaf)
• Graptoveria Fred Ives (leaf and stem)

“Succulents with stems, like crassulas—jade and related plants—are the easiest,” says Debra Lee Baldwin. “Succulents that form offsets—small plants attached to the mother ship—also are easy.” Conversely, the hardest succulents to propagate are those that grow from seeds, she adds, such as lithops (a plant that resembles pebbles) and haworthia.

What You Need

• Mother plant
• Clean scissors or shears
• Rooting hormone (optional)
• Container or tray for propagating
• Cactus or succulent soil, or potting soil mixed with sand
• Permanent pot
• Water

How to Propagate Succulent Leaves

Many succulents multiply in nature by dropping leaves, which form new plantlets called pups. “The part of the pup that was originally attached to the main stem will callous over and then start to pop roots out, which find their way into the ground and bud,” says plant store owner Lily Cox.

You can mimic this type of propagation at home if you have succulents with fleshy leaves, such as jade plants, echeveria, and sempervivum rosettes. “On a leaf, growth tissue is at the stem end,” Baldwin explains. “With leaf propagation, new little leaves grow upward at the same time roots grow downward.”

“As the new plant gets established, it drains moisture and nutrients from the parent leaf, which slowly withers,” Baldwin continues. It takes a few weeks to see the results, but propagating a succulent through a leaf cutting is relatively easy. Here’s how to give it a try.

Step 1: Pull a Leaf From a Healthy Plant

A cutting is more likely to thrive if it comes from a plant that’s well hydrated and healthy, according to Horton. “You’re looking for firm, healthy leaves to use,” Horton says. “If your leaves are severely shriveled, yellowed, black, or brown, this may be a sign of overwatering, which is generally not the best starting point for successful propagation.”

With a healthy leaf selected, gently twist and pull the leaf to break off as close as possible to the stem. Once you cut the leaf, you may notice the cut end is fairly wet. That’s normal because succulents hold water in their stems and leaves to accommodate drought.

Step 2: Allow the Leaf to Callous

Horton suggests allowing two to five days for the cut end to heal or callous over. Observing this step helps to prevent root rot.

Step 3: Apply Rooting Hormone (optional)

Rooting hormone, often sold as a powder, can expedite the propagation process but is not necessary. Cox suggests dipping the tip of the pup in powder after it calluses and before you set it on soil.

Step 4: Introduce the Leaf to Soil

With the leaf base callused, set it atop a container or tray filled with dampened cactus or succulent soil. “Don’t over-nurture,” Baldwin cautions. “If a succulent’s leaves pop off easily, like graptopetalums and sedums, those leaves want to root where they land,” she explains. “So try to replicate that environment.”

Mature succulents thrive in lots of sunlight, but too much light can burn leaves and growing pups, so indirect light is best. “Set them out of direct sun, atop soil that’s barely moist,” Baldwin adds.

“You should begin to start seeing roots or baby succulents forming from the cutting after about two weeks, give or take,” Horton says.

Step 5: Pot the Plantlet

When your baby succulent’s roots begin to strengthen after a few weeks, the leaf falls off on its own. That’s the time to replant the pup into a well-draining container with succulent soil or well-draining potting soil.

How to Propagate Succulent Stems

If you have succulents with several stems or branches—like sedum, jade, haworthia, or aeoniums—you can try propagating from a stem. These succulents tend to get leggy, according to Cox, which happens when the stem grows longer with fewer leaves to get more sunlight.

“Cutting a stem off can prune the existing plant and grow a new one,” Cox says. “The piece with the roots will keep growing florets from where it was cut, and the piece you cut off the top will grow roots.” Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Cut the Stem From a Healthy Plant

For a mother plant, aim for a healthy-looking one. Ideally, choose one that’s growing several healthy leaves. and avoid selecting stems with leaves that look shriveled or soggy.

Use a pair of clean scissors or shears to cut your selected stem. “Look for bands where leaves once were attached,” explains Baldwin. “Those rings will form roots.”

Next, Baldwin continues, “Simply cut the stem so the top leaves or rosette stand upright in the soil. A cutting’s stem needn’t be long,” she adds, “just enough to anchor it.”

Step 2: Allow the Stem to Callus

Let the stem base callous for a few days to increase the odds of propagation success.

Step 3: Remove a Few Leaves

After the stem base callouses, Cox suggests removing the bottom 2 inches of leaves on the stem. This allows the stem to more easily sink into the soil, and roots will likely form where the leaves were removed.

Step 4: Plant the Stem in Soil

Put the calloused end of the stem cutting into a container or tray filled with succulent soil, and set it in a location with bright, indirect sunlight. “If [too much] sun’s a concern, drape with a lightweight towel or shade cloth for about a week or until new plants root,” says Baldwin.

Avoid overwatering, which can damage a succulent’s fragile new roots. “Until they grow roots, stem cuttings are unable to take up water,” Baldwin explains. Their soil should be easy for roots to penetrate, so spritz occasionally to keep the top of the soil barely moist.

Step 5: Repot

Before repotting, “Wait until the baby plants are large enough to support themselves,” says Baldwin. “One way to tell [they’re ready to repot] is that they’ve started to grow roots—sometimes into thin air!” Once you see a few inches of root growth, repot the new succulent in a larger pot filled with succulent soil or generic potting soil mixed with sand.

Propagating Succulents in Water

Many houseplants—like pothos, philodendron, and monstera—can be propagated in water and transferred to soil after a few inches of root growth, but that may not be the best choice for succulents. According to Cox, dryness initiates growth for succulents, and water can impede their propagation process.

If you want to try water propagation, avoid starting with leaves, which are likely to rot if too moist. “You can find more success in water propagation with full stem cuttings that are larger and don’t need much assistance being propped up,” Horton advises, adding that a leaf cutting is likely to fall out of place and become submerged.

Bottom Line: For optimum success, stick to propagating succulents via a leaf or stem cutting in soil, and leave water propagation to the pothos.