The pressure of the holiday season is on. If you are a houseplant enthusiast like we are, the perfect holiday gift for your loved ones might be sitting not too far from you. The houseplants that bring you so much joy, can bring the same delight to your family and friends. Taking propagations of your own plants to give as Christmas plant gifts this year is an easy way to share the love of plants with those you love!

How to propagate plants for gifts

Some common houseplants, like Pothos, Philodendron, ZZ, and Spider Plants, are easy to propagate. That is, you can grow many plants from one! There are a few different propagation methods, depending on the type of plant you are looking to work with. In this post, we will cover how to propagate vining plants for Chritsmas plant gifts.

Vining plants, like Pothos and Philodendron, are some of the simplest plants to propagate. First, select a healthy plant with many main vines to choose from. The bigger the plant you are starting out with, the less noticeable it will be when you take cuttings. Once you have found a strong vine with plenty of leaves, you can choose whether you would like to take the whole vine or just a portion of it. The best place to make a cut is right below a leaf where you can usually find the start of a root. You can keep the vine whole, or cut it into pieces wherever you find one of these roots. Place the cuttings in water and keep them in a safe, bright spot. Once the roots have grown a bit, you can plant the cuttings in a small pot with some well-draining potting soil. 

Some plants are more sensitive to pot size than others, so you will want to choose a pot wisely. In general, small plants with fewer roots are going to do best in small pots with decent drainage. Think of it this way: the more excess soil that is surrounding your plant’s roots, the more difficult it is going to be for you to control the moisture content of the soil. Plant roots that stay too wet for too long tend to rot. You don’t want to gift a sad plant to a friend, right? 

To make your propagation plant gifts even more unique, skip the fancy store-bought pots and make your own clay pots! You can also paint a terracotta pot, wrap a bow around a clean jelly jar, or gift your plant cuttings inside special plant propagation sets. For an extra festive touch, gift your plant cutting inside a clear glass Christmas ornament, along with instructions on how to plant into a pot.

It is important to note that some plant cultivars are specially developed by plant breeders and protected by patents, meaning that it is not lawful to propagate these varieties (and especially sell them). These plants are often noted with a patent number or “propagation strictly prohibited” on their labels.

Giving a plant, especially one that is not too difficult to keep alive, is a gift that keeps on giving. It’s as if the love and care you give to your plant is passed on to live with another, and that’s pretty special. Happy plant gifting!

What plant propagation would you love to receive as a gift this Christmas? Tell us @wild_interiors on Instagram.