Tips for Propagating Sedum

Sedum is one of the easiest plants there is to propagate. One of my own favorite sedum plants, which is now large and thriving in my front yard, came from a single leaf I found on the sidewalk.

A Sedum Plant Growing from a Single Leaf

I have read that for optimum propagation of sedum you want a nice stem tip with a few leaves. However, I often only have one or two leaves which have dropped off of a friend or neighbor's plant to work with. I'd guess that a stem tip would have a pretty high success rate. I don't always get the single sedum leaves to survive.

To propagate a sedum leaf you first dip the broken end in rooting hormone. This will both promote rooting and also deter harmful fungus growth. I then plant the end in a flat pot with very light growing medium. I have used a half and half mix of peat moss and potting soil, but any light mix would probably work just as well. Don't plant the end too deeply, just push it barely into the soil.

I then keep the plant out of direct sunlight, and keep the soil moist. You don't want the soil to be too wet, as that could easily rot the leaf. However, it does need moisture to grow. Just barely drying out between waterings seems to be ideal.

After a month or two you may start to see the beginning of tiny new leaves sprouting at the base of the big leaf. Each of those tiny leaves will eventually grow into a single big leaf. I like to baby my new plant in partial shade for at least a year before setting it the garden with my other sedum. This is partly because my sedum bed is in my Southern California desert like front yard, which is extremely hot and sunny. If your garden has less harsh conditions you might set it out earlier - or perhaps root your cuttings right in the bed along side your mature plants.

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Tips for Propagating Sedum

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