How to Propagate Houseplants in Water: 12 Plants That Root Easily

The universal technique

1. Choose a healthy stem with at least 2–3 leaves. Cut just below a node (the bump where a leaf attaches to the stem) with clean scissors or pruners.
2. Remove the bottom 1–2 leaves so no foliage sits submerged — submerged leaves rot and foul the water.
3. Drop the cutting into a clear glass or jar of room-temperature water, deep enough to submerge the node(s) but not the remaining leaves.
4. Set in bright indirect light. Direct sun overheats water and cooks the cutting.
5. Change the water every 5–7 days, or whenever it starts looking cloudy. Rinse the cut end with fresh water each change.
6. Once roots reach 3–5 cm, pot up into moist potting soil. Water thoroughly the first week while roots transition from water to soil.

Filtered or rainwater works best. Alberta tap water has significant chlorine and fluoride which slow root growth — if you’re using tap water, let a glass sit uncovered overnight before filling the propagation jar.

The 12 plants that root reliably in water

1. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

The easiest plant to propagate, full stop. Cut a stem with 3–4 leaves and a node, drop in water, roots in a week. Works for every pothos cultivar.

2. Heartleaf Philodendron

Behaves just like pothos. Take a 10–15 cm section with 2–3 leaves, root in water, pot up in 2–3 weeks.

3. Monstera Deliciosa

Take a cutting with at least one node and one aerial root if possible. Root time: 3–4 weeks. Pot up once roots are 7+ cm. Best done in spring.

4. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Skip the cutting — just snip off one of the baby “spiderettes” that dangle from runners and drop it in water. Roots often already present.

5. Inch Plant / Tradescantia

Sometimes called the fastest propagator alive. Any 4–6 cm stem tip will root in water within days. You can watch it happen.

6. Begonia (most species)

Stem-tip cuttings root in 2–3 weeks. Polka Dot Begonia (Begonia maculata) propagates particularly reliably. For rhizomatous begonias, leaf cuttings also work.

7. Coleus

A colourful summer annual in Alberta, coleus roots so easily you can overwinter your favourites indoors by taking cuttings in August. Stem-tip cuttings root in under two weeks.

8. Mint / Basil (and most culinary herbs in the mint family)

Snip a 10 cm sprig, strip lower leaves, drop in water. Roots appear in 7–14 days. Free kitchen herbs forever.

9. African Violet

Unique among this list: you use a single leaf with 3–5 cm of stem. Rest the stem through a hole in plastic wrap over a small cup of water, leaf above. Roots and tiny plantlets form at the submerged stem base in 6–8 weeks.

10. Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane)

Top cuttings (15 cm from the tip with 2–3 leaves) root in water within 3–4 weeks. Caution: milky sap is toxic — wear gloves.

11. Dracaena marginata (Dragon Tree)

Cut off the top rosette with 10 cm of stem. Roots in 3–5 weeks. The bare cane you left behind will sprout new growth — two plants from one.

12. String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)

Stem cuttings 10–15 cm long root in water in 2–3 weeks. You can also pot up the tiny tubers (“beads”) that form along the trailing stems — each one grows a new plant without water at all.

Plants that do not water-propagate well

• Succulents and cacti — stems rot in water. Callus over and plant in dry soil instead.
• Snake Plant — leaf cuttings work but are painfully slow (3–6 months). Rhizome division is much faster.
• ZZ Plant — leaf cuttings take 9–12 months to form a new rhizome. Pure patience test.
• Ferns — propagate by division or spores, not cuttings.
• Palms — grown only from seed; cannot be cut.

The transition to soil

The biggest mistake beginners make is leaving cuttings in water too long. Water roots are fundamentally different from soil roots — thinner, more fragile, adapted to constant moisture. The longer a cutting stays in water, the harder the transition to soil becomes. Pot up as soon as roots are 3–5 cm long.

When you pot up: use a slightly-smaller-than-normal pot, moist (not soggy) standard potting mix, and water thoroughly the first time. Keep the soil noticeably more moist than you normally would for the first two weeks while the root system rebuilds for soil life. After that, return to normal watering.

Some cuttings will sulk or drop a leaf during the transition — this is normal. New growth within a month means it worked.