Grow new succulents from just one leaf! Explore beautiful varieties that propagate easily with simple tips for your garden.
Succulents are the perfect houseplants for beginners or those who don’t have much time to devote to their plants. While some plants can adapt to low-light conditions, allowing you to grow them in various areas of your home. They are low-maintenance, but they’re also really easy to propagate.
How to Grow your Succulents from a Single Leaf
1. Remove a Piece From a Healthy Succulent Plant
Remove the leaf you will use for propagation, keeping its base intact. This is where new growth will begin, so be careful not to damage it; otherwise, the propagation won’t be successful. Gently wiggle and twist the leaf until it pops off the stem. But if the base of the leaf tears at all, you will need to start again with a fresh leaf.
2. Allow Cutting to Form a Callus
Once the leaf is removed, it needs to dry out in a warm, well-ventilated spot so that the cutting wound forms a callus. Allow the process to take two to four days.
3. Place the Leaves on the Soil
Prepare a pot or small tray with moist, sandy, and well-draining potting soil, and place the leaf on top of the soil so that the base of the leaf is in direct contact with the soil surface.
Always use well-draining soil. Regular garden soil holds too much water, which can rot your leaves before they even sprout. A mix of cactus soil with a little sand or perlite works perfectly.
4. Put the Tray in a Bright Location
Place the pot in bright, indirect light and warmth. Avoid direct light where possible, as it can scorch the leaves. Do not mist the leaves or water the soil at all until the roots begin to grow; the leaves cannot absorb water without roots.
5. Water when the Roots begin to Grow
After about four weeks, small white or pink roots should sprout from the callus. This is the time to water it lightly. Target the roots with a spray bottle or a few droplets once small buds develop at the base of the leaf. Let the soil dry thoroughly between waterings.
As the new succulent grows, it’ll remain attached to the original leaf or stem, providing essential energy until it naturally falls off, so don’t remove it!
6. Let the Roots Grow
It will take a few months before the succulents are big enough to transfer to their own pots. Wait until they are at least an inch across or have established root systems before repotting them.
7. Repotting Them
Once they are ready to transplant, prepare a small pot with well-draining soil and plant them. Place it in bright, indirect light initially, then gradually move it to direct sunlight over a few days to avoid burning its leaves. Every couple of days, shift it to a brighter spot to adjust it to the new conditions, ensuring a smooth transition.
Note: Not every leaf will succeed, and that’s perfectly normal. Sometimes only a few leaves out of a batch will root, so always start with more leaves than you need.
9 Easiest Succulents To Propagate from a Single Leaf
1. Echeveria Lola
Echeveria ‘Lola’ is a hybrid succulent known for its symmetrical rosettes of striking blue-green leaves tinged with pink. It propagates easily from leaf cuttings. Simply pluck a healthy leaf, let it callous over, and place it on well-draining soil.
2. Crassula ovata
Jade Plant’s adaptability makes it an excellent choice. Place leaf cuttings directly on the soil. This plant has thick, oval-shaped leaves that remain a rich emerald green in shade, but develop striking red margins with increased sun exposure. It also produces clusters of small, star-shaped white flowers in fall and winter, adding to its charm.
Jade Plant is mildly toxic to pets if ingested, so keep new cuttings out of reach of cats and dogs.
3. Tiscalatengo Gorge Sedum
Sedum clavatum is one of the easiest succulents to propagate because of its adaptability and minimal care needs. This succulent has powdery blue rosettes that form dense mats that spill gently over the edge of a pot or rock garden, creating a soft, trailing effect. And it thrives in almost any well-draining soil.
4. Burro’s Tail
Sedum morganianum, or donkey’s tail, produces trailing stems that create a striking cascading effect. Simply place the fallen leaves on well-draining soil, and they will develop roots with minimal effort. However, the leaves may break easily if you’re not careful when you handle them.
5. Ghost Plant
The pale and dreamy white rosettes of Graptopetalum paraguayense create a striking contrast in any arrangement, adding delicacy to sharp corners. Whether you choose to propagate from leaves or cuttings, it’s long, curling stems often become bare as they grow, with clusters of rosettes forming at the tips.
6. Graptoveria Fred Ives
The gorgeous sunset colors that wash the leaves of Graptoveria ‘Fred Ives’ bloom in large and open rosettes that reach 8 inches across and grow 12 inches tall. Very easy and quick to grow, even in poor growing conditions. All graptoveria propagate easily from leaf and stem cuttings but Fred Ives is really special.
7. Hen & Chicks
Sempervivum heuffelii are hardy rosette-forming plants that produce clusters of baby plants, or ‘chicks,’ around the mother plant, or ‘hen.’ They’re connected by a short above-ground stem, so these offsets are simple to separate. When a chick reaches a good size, gently detach it and place it on dry, well-draining succulent soil.
8. Jelly Bean Plant
Sedum rubrotinctum has starry, lemon-yellow or pink blooms that are highly attractive to butterflies, and the stress coloring is gorgeous! It forms dense mats and tumbles over the edge of planters to soften the look. The leaves can pop off easily if you handle them roughly.
9. String of Pearls
Senecio rowleyanus is a charming succulent known for its unique appearance, representing a cascade of green pearls. Each “pearl” is a small and spherical leaf attached to a trailing stem, creating an elegant and eye-catching display when grown in hanging baskets or trailing over the edges of containers.
Note – This one is toxic to pets and kids, so place hanging pots somewhere safe while propagating.
Leaf propagation is one of the easiest ways to grow succulents. With just a single healthy leaf, you can create an entire garden over time. Which is your favorite pick? Let us know.
