Propagation Methods for Herbaceous Perennials--A
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I, J, K | L | M | N, O | P | R | S | T | U,V,W, X,Y,Z
The following table contains temperate and sub-tropical (to USDA zone 9) herbaceous genera and species. Some may be quite rare and only found on a continent or country such as Australia or South Africa. Due to variations in references, some may contain more than one comment or time period for a method.
| Methods of Propagation: | |
| S = seed | LC = leaf cutting |
| SC = stem cutting | L = layering |
| RC = root cutting | TC = tissue culture or micropropagation |
| D = division |
This table is an updated and expanded version of the printed version which can be found in the NRAES book by Dr. Leonard Perry, Herbaceous Perennial Production. Appreciation is expressed to Andrea Luchini, graduate assistant, for most of this update.
|
Scientific
Name |
Common Name |
Methods of
Propagation |
Time Period |
Comments/Requirements |
|
Abronia
sp. |
Sand
Verbena |
S |
late spring |
|
|
|
|
SC |
spring |
sand |
|
Abutilon
sp. |
|
SC |
spring or late summer |
|
|
|
|
S |
|
|
|
Acaena
sp. |
New
Zealand Bur |
SC |
summer or fall |
|
|
|
|
D |
spring, fall |
rooted
stems |
|
|
|
S |
spring, fall |
|
|
Acantholimon
sp. |
Prickly
Thrift |
S |
|
slow,
well-drained, transplants poorly |
|
|
|
SC |
late spring |
|
|
|
|
SC |
late summer |
basal,
non-flw |
|
|
|
LC |
|
most
sp., most reliable |
|
Acanthus
sp. |
Bear's
Breech |
RC |
early winter |
|
|
|
|
RC |
spring |
|
|
|
|
D |
early spring, fall |
use
care |
|
|
|
S |
|
|
|
|
|
SC |
fall |
|
| A. dioscorides |
|
suckers |
|
|
| A. mollis |
|
D |
|
dormant
divisions of crown |
|
Aceriphyllum:
see Mukdenia |
|
|
|
|
|
Achillea
sp. |
Yarrow |
SC |
|
summer
softwood cutting with auxin |
|
|
|
S |
|
|
|
|
|
SC |
mid summer |
after
flw, basal in spring |
|
|
|
D |
spring, fall |
|
| A. filipendulina |
|
S |
|
seeds
sometimes produce inferior plants |
|
Achimenes
sp. |
|
S |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
divide
rhizomes |
|
|
|
SC |
|
commercial;
early spring; mist w/bottom heat |
|
|
|
LC |
|
summer |
|
Achlys
triphylla |
Vanilla
Leaf |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
rhizome |
|
Achnatherum:
see Stipa |
|
|
|
|
|
Acinos
sp. |
Calamintha |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
as
Satureja |
|
Aciphylla
sp. |
Colinso's
Spainard |
S |
late summer |
fresh |
|
Aconitum
sp. |
Monkshood |
S |
|
difficult |
|
|
|
S |
|
fresh,
doesn't tolerate storage, sow immediately after harvest |
|
|
|
TC |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
do
early as can be slow to re-establish |
|
|
|
D |
spring, fall |
roots
poisonous |
| A. vilmorinianum |
|
S |
|
use
care, plant is poisonous |
|
|
|
D |
Fall |
tuberous
roots |
|
Acorus
sp. |
Sweet
Flag |
SC |
|
rhizome
cuttings each with node |
|
|
|
S |
|
fresh |
|
|
|
D |
|
every
3rd/4th year |
|
Actaea
sp. |
Baneberry,
Cohosh |
D |
spring,fall |
|
|
|
|
S |
|
old
seed germination un-uniform |
|
Actinella:
see Hymenoxys |
|
|
|
|
|
Actinidia
sp. |
Yang-Tao |
SC |
late summer |
bottom
heat |
|
|
|
L |
fall |
|
|
|
|
S |
spring, fall |
|
|
|
|
Graft |
|
|
| A. arguta |
|
S |
|
prefers
fall sowing in mulch bed to artificial strat. |
|
Actinomeris:
seeVerbesina |
|
|
|
|
|
Adamsia:
see Pushkinia |
|
|
|
|
|
Adelocaryum:
see Lindelofia |
|
|
|
|
|
Actinotus
sp. |
Flannel
Flower |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
SC |
spring |
|
|
|
|
D |
spring |
|
|
Adenophora
sp. |
Ladybells |
D |
|
difficult |
|
|
|
S |
|
ripe,
transplants poorly |
|
|
|
SC |
early spring |
basal |
|
Adenostyles
(Cacalia) alpina |
|
S |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
|
|
Adiantum
sp. |
Maidenhair
Fern |
S |
|
spores,
preferable |
|
|
|
D |
|
crowns,
may be slow |
| A. aleuticum |
|
D |
|
divide
in early spring by separating rhizomes with at least one leaf shoot or bud
and transplant into containers |
|
Adlumia
fungosa |
Climbing
Fumitory |
S |
early spring |
|
|
Adonis
sp. |
Pheasant's
Eye |
S |
spring |
slow
to flower, doubles sterile |
|
|
|
D |
spring, fall |
difficult,
use care, keep moist |
| A. vernalis |
|
S |
|
see
Aconitum |
|
Adoxa
moschatellina |
Muskroot |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
|
|
Aegopodium
sp. |
Goutweed |
D |
fall, early spring |
invasive |
|
|
|
S |
|
|
|
Aethionema
sp. |
Stone
Cress |
SC |
|
tip
cuttings |
|
|
|
SC |
summer |
or
basal |
|
|
|
S |
spring, fall |
off
types usual |
|
|
|
D |
spring, fall |
difficult |
|
Aethiopappus:
see Centaurea |
|
|
|
|
|
Agapanthus
sp. |
African
Lily |
TC |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
clumps,
offsets |
|
|
|
S |
spring |
ripe,
2-3 years to flw |
|
Agastache
sp. |
Giant
Hyssop |
S |
early spring |
indoors |
|
|
|
D |
early spring |
old
clumps |
|
|
|
SC |
summer |
semi-ripe
or softwood |
|
Agave
sp. |
Century
Plant |
TC |
|
commercial
mass production |
|
|
|
S |
|
slow |
|
|
|
D |
|
offsets,
bulbils |
|
Agrimonia
sp. |
Agrimony |
RC |
early fall |
|
|
|
|
S |
early spring |
may
self sow |
| A. striata |
|
SC |
early summer |
|
|
|
|
D |
fall |
|
|
|
|
S |
summer |
need
1 month of cold |
|
Agropyron
sp. |
Wheat
Grass |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
|
|
Agrostemma:
see Lychnis, Silene |
|
|
|
|
|
Agrostis:
see Stipa |
|
|
|
|
|
Ajania
sp. |
|
S |
|
|
|
Ajuga
sp. |
Bugleweed |
|
|
most
common by division; varigated from D or cuttings |
|
|
|
D, TC, S |
|
|
|
|
|
SC |
|
when
not flw, basal in spring |
|
Albuca
sp. |
Hollyhock? |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
offsets,
bulbils |
|
Alcea
(Althaea) sp. |
|
SC |
spring |
special
color forms, basal, not common |
|
|
|
S |
spring, fall |
some
species have poor germination and/or vigor |
|
Alchemilla
sp. |
Lady's
Mantle |
S |
fall |
|
|
|
|
D |
spring, fall |
before
flw, 2-3 yr to flw |
| A. mollis |
|
S |
|
|
|
Alisma
sp. |
Water
Plaintain |
D |
spring |
|
|
|
|
S |
|
ripe,
keep wet |
|
Alkanna
sp. |
|
S, RC |
|
|
|
Allium
sp. |
Ornamental
Onion |
TC |
|
|
|
|
|
S |
spring |
|
|
|
|
D |
spring |
dormant
offsets, clumps |
|
Allosorus:
see Cryptogamma |
|
|
|
|
|
Aloe
sp. |
|
S |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
offshoots |
|
|
|
SC |
|
plants
with long stems, allow cut surface to suberize |
|
|
|
TC |
|
|
|
Alonsoa
sp. |
Mask
Flower |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
SC |
late summer |
softwood
tips, non-flw shoots |
|
Alopecurus
sp. |
Foxtail
Grass |
D |
spring |
|
|
Alsine:
see Minuartia |
|
|
|
|
|
Alstroemeria
sp. |
Peruvian
Lily |
TC |
|
for
disease free plants |
|
|
|
S |
spring |
pot
plants |
|
|
|
S |
|
sow
ripe |
|
|
|
D |
spring |
old
clumps |
|
Althaea
sp. |
Hollyhock |
S |
spring |
|
|
|
|
D |
|
rootstock,
difficult |
|
Alyssoides
urticulata |
Bladderpod |
S |
spring, fall |
as
Aurinia |
|
|
|
SC |
early summer |
|
|
|
|
D |
fall |
difficult |
|
Alyssum
murale |
Madwort |
S |
|
most
common |
|
|
|
D |
spring |
difficult |
|
|
|
SC |
early summer |
or
early spring before buds |
| Alyxia olivaeformis |
Maile |
S |
|
need
depulping |
|
|
|
SC |
|
single
node, remove 1/2 leaf surface area, place in water before treatment; in
shady cloth covered greenhouse; IBA quick dip |
|
Amaracus:
see Origanum |
|
|
|
|
|
Amaryllis
belladonna |
Belladonna
Lily |
TC |
|
|
|
|
|
bulb cuttings |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
dormant
offsets |
|
|
|
D |
summer |
clumps,
after leaves gone |
|
|
|
S |
|
ripe |
|
Amberboa
moschata |
Sweet
Sultan |
S |
spring, fall |
sow
direct |
|
Ammophila
sp. |
Beach
Grass |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
late spring |
not
fall-spring |
|
Amsonia
sp. |
Blue
Star |
S |
spring |
|
|
|
|
SC |
spring, summer |
after
flw easy, terminal |
|
|
|
D |
spring, fall |
3
year+ clumps |
|
Anacyclus
pyrethrum |
Mt.
Atlas Daisy |
S |
|
best |
|
|
|
SC |
spring |
|
|
Anagallis
sp. |
Pimpernel |
S |
fall, spring |
|
|
|
|
D |
spring |
|
|
|
|
SC |
spring |
|
|
Anaphalis
sp. |
Pearly
Everlasting |
D |
spring |
|
|
|
|
S |
late summer |
few
off types |
|
|
|
SC |
spring |
new
shoots |
|
Anchusa
sp. |
Alkanet,
Bugloss |
RC |
late fall, early winter |
|
|
|
|
S |
|
not
for cvs. |
|
|
|
D |
spring, fall |
difficult |
|
|
|
SC |
spring |
basal |
|
A.
azurea |
|
RC |
early spring |
|
|
|
|
D, RC |
|
clones |
| A. capensis |
Bugloss |
S |
|
summer
for next year bloom, winter in greenhouse |
|
Andropogon
sp. |
Bluestem |
D |
spring |
|
|
|
|
S |
|
|
|
Androsace
sp. |
Rock
Jasmine |
S |
|
slow,
may take 2 yrs. |
|
|
|
SC |
summer |
basal |
|
|
|
D |
summer |
runners,
rooted plantlets |
|
A.
villosa |
|
D |
spring |
|
|
Andryala
sp. |
|
S, D |
|
|
|
Anemone
sp. |
Windflower |
RC |
Oct. |
|
|
|
|
RC |
winter, early spring |
autumn
types, bottom heat |
|
|
|
S |
|
see
Alcea; uncommon in US |
|
|
|
D |
spring |
rhizomes,
use care |
| A. blanda |
Greek
Windflower |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
divide
tuber into sections |
|
|
|
D |
late spring |
division
of corms after leaves die |
| A. japonica |
Japanese
anemone |
D |
|
|
|
|
|
RC |
|
dug
in fall, cut into 2in pieces, put in flats or cold frame, covered with 1
in of soil; pot after shoots appear |
| A. x hybrida |
|
S |
|
needs
temp. fluctuations |
|
Anemonella
sp. |
|
S |
|
sow
fresh |
|
A.
thalictroides |
Rue
Anemone |
RC |
|
each
piece with bud (crown) |
|
|
|
S |
|
sow
outside |
|
|
|
S |
summer |
|
|
|
|
D |
fall |
well-established |
|
|
|
D |
early spring |
tubers
from rootstocks |
|
Anemonopsis
sp. |
|
S |
|
sow
fresh |
|
A.
macrophylla |
False
Anemone |
S |
late summer |
|
|
|
|
D |
spring |
|
|
Anemopsis
californica |
Yerba
Mansa |