Roadside plant envy got me one day last fall. As I drove past a nearby subdivision entrance, I saw this lovely coleus mound growing in the island bed. I don’t normally do this (okay sometimes I do..), but I jumped out of the truck and quickly pinched off a stem from the plant. I headed home and placed in a cup of water on the kitchen windowsill. It rooted easily (as all coleuses do) and I later planted it in a small clay pot.
It barely grew all winter on the windowsill, but this spring I finally potted it up outside in a 12 inch pot. Within a month, the plant has exploded with new growth and larger leaves. It has vibrate red color and loves the sun! Patience sure paid off with this cutting.
Hi Jackie:
Great to meet you at G2B. My grandmother used to carry a navy blue handbag, all proper like…she used to ‘pinch’ cuttings all the time and just slip them in it for “later use”.
She had a great garden.
It was nice meeting you too. Well thankfully I am not the only pincher. I like the navy blue handbag idea!
Love the color of that coleus. Never thought of pinching… might give it a try.
Oh yeah, too numerous to recount all of them. My family has a long tradition of seed pods or parts of plants jumping in our pockets. I have a crepe myrtle that’s about 3ft tall now that originated from the entrance to some new condos near my mother-in-law’s house. I had a great pencil cactus that I pinched from a local coffee shop, but it didn’t survive this past winter. I guess I need to make another visit to that coffee shop.
As a reminder, be sure to respect the patented plants that are protected from unauthorized propagation. A lot of time and money goes into the selecting process.
Hey Jackie! What other plants are suitable for ‘pinching’ besides Coleus? I like this thrifty idea!
Emily,
Most plants with square shaped stems (coleus, mint, salvia, etc. ) are easily rooted in water or well draining potting mix. I’ve also had luck with roses and hydrangeas too. Here are few more that are said to be easy to root:
Aster
Azalea
Boxwood
Camellia
Chrysanthemum
Dianthus
Gardenia
Geraniums (Pelargoniums)
Honeysuckle
Hydrangea
Jade plant
Lavender
Penstemon
Rose
Rosemary
Salvia
Veronica
Willow
gracias!
My kind of gal…I like to ‘borrow’ little pieces and sometimes not so little pieces:) My most cherished shrub! is an American Beautyberry (my mom always loved the purple berries on their stems in flower arrangements) My sweet hubby dug one up for me on an abandoned road worksite and I just love seeing it flourish.