Amazing 10 Plants that Grow from Leaves for the Leafy Garden

As plant enthusiasts, we would have taken care of many plants, watered them, nurtured them with nutrients and given them the right environment to grow. But what if we could regrow some of them on our own? Wouldn’t that be interesting? What’s even more interesting is that there are plants that grow from leaves too. Yes, plants can be reproduced by various methods and the leaf is also one of the organs for producing a whole plant. Here is the name some plants that grow from leaves.

This method of reproduction is called the vegetative propagation method or the asexual method where the whole plant grows from any single organ of a plant, and below mentioned are plants that grow from leaves. Various methods of vegetative propagation are available and to produce plants that grow from leaves, the leaf cuttings method is one common method used.

Vegetative Propagation through Leaves | Plants that Grow from Leaves

Let us see how these plants grow from leaves. Plants that grow from leaves fall under the category of leaf cuttings which, are also made from stems and roots. Cuttings are very common as it is easy, cheap and more successful to produce plants that grow from leaves. It does not need sophisticated conditions to grow. A whole leaf blade without a petiole, a leaf with a petiole, a section of a leaf, a leaf bud or the veins, either of these can be used to grow plants from leaves

The plants produced are clones of their parent plants and display similar characteristics in their foliage colour, flower colour, water and light requirement, growth habits and other growth patterns. It also helps in the replication and preservation of as many plants as they produce.

Why does the regeneration of a plant from a leaf happen?

Now let us see the science behind this. Plants that grow from leaves are not common, but very specific only to a few plants. This is because, in most plants, the leaf is considered a terminal organ and cannot produce roots or shoots and develop into a new plant. But in the case of plants that have a semi-succulent or a succulent leaf, this condition varies. Unlike a normal leaf, when detached from the plant, the semi-succulent or succulent leaf can live longer without getting decayed or withered. This feature enables them to survive longer, differentiate their tissues into roots and shoot and grow into a new plant altogether.

List of Plants that Grow from Leaves | Plants that Grow from Leaves with Names

Examples of plants that grow from leaves are Aloe vera, African violets, begonias, Kalanchoe, and Sanseveria, etc. These are mostly indoor or outdoor houseplants that are commonly seen in our neighbourhood. Which plant is mainly propagated by leaves? Let us see more details about the growth and care for these plants that grow from leaves.

1-African Violet:

Do you want to add some flowers to your garden? Then the African Violet plant will be a great choice! A herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the genus Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia. These plants are bushy and grow up to 15cm in length. They require well-drained soil, bright and indirect sunlight and humid conditions for their growth and flowering. They produce blue to violet and white coloured flowers which will beautify your garden.

How to Grow African violet:

To grow an African violet plant from a leaf, the following steps have to be followed.

Just place a healthy leaf with the petiole buried in the soil.
Cut the leaf into half, and provide adequate water and shade for the roots to develop.
Within a month the roots will develop and 2 weeks later you will have your African violet plant ready to be transplanted.

2- Painted Leaf Begonia:

Now let us add some colour to our garden with leaves only, sounds interesting? Here is the printed version of plants that grow from leaves. Painted leaf Begonia’s are plants that grow from leaves that are semi-tropical and known for their beautiful variegated foliage. Colours including red, purple, green and silver are present in a beautiful pattern. They are best for growing as an outdoor house plant. The presence of partial shade and temperature around 15⁰C to 20⁰C are necessary for the development of colourful variegations in the leaf.

How to Grow Begonia:

Make sections from the leaf and each section with a prominent primary vein and place them in the growing medium.
By providing the right environmental conditions, the roots and shoots start to emerge from the veins and can be transplanted and grown into a new plant.

3- Kalanchoe:

How about adding some seasonal flowering surprises to our garden? Here is Kalanchoe for you! a tropical succulent plant that grows from leaves. It bears small flowers in clusters that bloom once a year, typically during the winter. The flowers come in shades of pink, red, orange, yellow and white and require a short day condition to produce flowers. It cannot tolerate water logging and humid conditions. Hence well-drained soil and a dry temperature are necessary for its growth.

How to Grow Kalanchoe:

Place a Kalanchoe leaf with the petiole buried in the soil.
Cut the leaf into half, and provide adequate water and shade for the roots to develop.
Roots will develop within 4 weeks and in 2 weeks the plant will be ready to be transplanted.

4- Sansevieria:

This is commonly called a snake plant due to its long, slender, variegated and succulent foliage. These plants are perfect indoor plants for their hardy nature. They prefer a bright and partial shade, well-drained soil and a warm temperature of above 20⁰C. Leaf sections are required for Sansevieria plants that grow from leaves. Do you know, that these plants can purify the air by filtering the toxins? Follow the below steps to grow this plant from leaf

How to Grow Sansevieria:

Make 5 cm sections from the leaf by cutting through their width
Place the bottom end of the section buried in the rooting medium
By providing adequate moisture and light and humid conditions, the roots will start to develop by 4 to 5 weeks and new leaves start to emerge. It can then be transplanted into a new place.

5- Bryophyllum:

Add magic to your garden with bryophyllum. These are plants that grow from leaves in a unique way – small shoots grow from leaf margins. It is a small-statured plant with broad rounded leaves. Partial shade, 20⁰C to 30⁰C temperature and watering when the soil has become dry will aid in good plant growth.

How to Grow Bryophyllum:

Place a leaf that has well-developed buds in the leaf margins in the growing medium and provide the required moisture, light and humidity.
Roots start to appear from each of the buds and the main leaf will wither and decay.
Once the roots are well developed shoots also grow making the plant ready to be transplanted.

6- Echeveria:

Echeverias, flower like Plants that Grow from Leaves, provides your garden with a lot of colours and patterns with their beautiful rosette leaf arrangement. These are one of the major groups of plants that grow from leaves. They are commonly called as succulents denoting their fleshy leaves. They are native to arid conditions and hence require a similar condition for their growth. The growing medium must be porous and well-drained. They require full sunlight exposure for around 6 hours, moderate humidity and can withstand extremes of temperature.

How to Grow Echeveria:

In Echeveria, the leaf can be removed by hand and placed on the growing medium without burying
Cut ends will develop a callus in 5 days and later new roots start developing from the cut end and roots will be established in 5 to 6 weeks
Provide adequate moisture and do not overwater it. Providing a humid condition and partial shade will help in their growth.

7- Aloe:

Aloe, a rapidly grown plants that grow from plants, is well known for its medicinal properties and is a commonly grown house plant. The succulent nature of the leaf helps it to survive for a long time even without soil or water. Indirect and bright sunlight with warm temperatures is perfect for Aloe vera

How to Grow Aloe:

Remove a leaf with a sharp knife and place it on the growing medium
After 5 days, the cut end will be callused and new roots will develop from the callused end. Transplantation can be done in 5 weeks
Provide adequate moisture, humid conditions and partial shade for further growth.

8- Zamia:

Want a tropical feel to your garden, then Zamia will be a good choice. Commonly called as the ZZ plant or cardboard palm, these are ideal choices for house plants that grow from leaves. The bright green-coloured oval-shaped leaves provide a vibrant scene. These plants require full bright sunlight and a temperature of around 20⁰C for their growth. They are low maintenance as they do not require frequent watering.

How to Grow Zamia:

Place a healthy leaf with the petiole buried in the growing medium.
Water the plant adequately and provide shade and humidity for the development of roots
Roots will form in 4 weeks and in 8 weeks new plants that grow from leaves will be ready to be transplanted

9- Jade Plant:

Jade Plant – Lucky Plants that Grow from Leaves – It is not just a plant that grows from leaves but also brings good luck, fortune and wealth when placed in our house. Bright and indirect sunlight for 6 hours gives this plant good growth with a bushy appearance. Frequent watering is required, but care should be taken not to overwater it.

How to Grow Jade Plant:

Snip off the leaves and place them on top of the growing medium
After a month, the cut end will develop a callus and new roos will emerge.
With adequate moisture, humidity and shade, the roots will start to establish. In 7 weeks, they will be ready to be transplanted.

10- Burro’s Tail:

If you are thinking of adding some trailings and fun to your garden, then Burro’s tail would be the best choice. It is botanically called as Sedum morganianum. It produces long and slender stems with succulent leaves arranged in a braided fashion. These plants are tolerant to drought and can withstand conditions with less soil moisture and high temperatures.

How to Grow Burro’s Tail:

Remove the individual leaves from the stem and then place the leaves on top of the growing medium
The cut ends will callus in a week and later roots will develop when provided with partial shade, adequate moisture and humidity
It can be transplanted in 6 weeks during which the roots are completely established

Plants that Grow from Leaves Examples | List of Plants that Grow from Leaves

Sl. No.	Plant Name	Scientific Name	Temperature	Humidity	Watering	Growing medium	Light	Days for transplanting
1	African violet	Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia	15⁰C to 20⁰C	Upto 80%	Soil should be fully dry	Soil+Sand+Perlite or Pumice	Bright and indirect for 6 to 7 hours	8 weeks
2	Painted Leaf Begonia	Begonia rex	15⁰C to 20⁰C	70%	Soil should remain moist	Soil+Sand+Coco peat	Bright and indirect light for 4 to 5 hours	8 weeks
3	Kalanchoe	Kalanchoe blossfeldiana	15⁰C to 25⁰C	40%	Infrequent, Moist in summer, dry in winter	Soil+Sand+Perlite or Pumice	Bright and indirect light for 4 hours	6 weeks
4	Sansevieria	Sanseveria trifasciata	20⁰C to 25⁰C	30% to 50%	Topsoil fully dried	Soil+Sand+Coco peat	Bright light and partial shade	4 to 5 weeks
5	Bryophyllum	Bryophyllum pinnatum	20⁰C to 30⁰C	30% to 40%	Moist top soil in spring and summer, dry in winter	Soil+Sand+Coco peat	Direct sunlight for 4 to 5 hours	6 weeks
6	Echeveria	Echeveria sp.	20⁰C to 30⁰C	40% to 50%	Infrequent watering, topsoil must be dry	Soil+Sand+Perlite or Pumice	Direct sunlight for 6 hours	5 to 6 weeks
7	Aloe	Aloe vera	20⁰C to 25⁰C	40%	Infrequent, topsoil must be dry	Soil+Sand+Perlite or Gravel	Bright indirect sunlight	5 weeks
8	Zamia	Zamia furfuraceae	20⁰C to 30⁰C	50%	Moderate watering when soil is dry	Soil+Sand	Direct sunlight for 6 hours	8 weeks
9	Jade Plant	Crassula ovata	20⁰C to 25⁰C	30% to 50%	Moist in spring and summer, dry in winter	Soil+Sand+Pea gravel	Bright sunlight for 4 hours	7 weeks
10	Burro’s Tail	Sedum morganianum	25⁰C to 35⁰C	40% to 60%	Infrequent, when soil is dry	Soil+Sand+Perlite or Pumice	Bright light or partial sun for 4 hours	6 to 7 weeks

Plants that grow from leaves

Conclusion:

Growing plants from leaves is a rewarding and exciting experience for all those who love plants. They not only add green cover, and colour but also have many benefits, for example, purifying the air like Sanseveria, medicinal uses of Aloe, bringing good luck and wealth like the Jade plant or can be fun like the Burro’s tail and Echeveria are 5 examples of plants that grow from leaves. By providing proper care and patience, a whole new garden can be grown just from leaves. In addition to these, growing plants from leaves also brings within us a sense of attachment and affection as we ourselves have grown them on our own. So let us grow more plants from leaves and get more closer to find out which new plant is grown from its leaves.

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