17 Houseplants That Can Grow From Leaves

Propagating plants is an essential skill every houseplant parent should know, especially those on a budget. You may have tried propagating plants from cuttings, the go-to method, but did you know there are also several houseplants you can propagate from a single leaf?

There are some downsides to propagating from single leaves. The time it takes for a single leaf to grow into a full plant is far longer than with other propagation methods. It’s also not always as successful and often requires part of the stem to be removed with the leaf to ensure root growth.

However, if you’re careful about the process and patient when it comes to growth, you can end up with a beautiful plant grown from just one single leaf. Let’s take a look at 17 houseplants you can grow from leaves.

Snake Plant

When looking for the houseplant that has it all, few would argue with snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue. This plant is tolerant of almost any condition, encounters few problems, and is also one of the easiest plants to propagate. With long, structural leaves and interesting variegation patterns, it’s hard not to want more of them.

Just one snake plant leaf can give you many more in a few easy steps. Start by cutting off one of the leaves at the base. Choose a strong leaf with no damage or pest problems to give your propagation the best chance of success. Use a sharp, disinfected knife to avoid spreading disease to the cuttings or the parent plant.

Next, cut the long leaf into sections around four inches long. Mark the bottom of each piece with a marker to ensure you plant them root side down. Place the cuttings in a propagating mix of equal parts coconut coir and river sand, or use toothpicks to suspend the sections in a glass of filtered water. You should see root growth within a few weeks, after which the cutting is ready to transplant into soil to grow into a fully-fledged snake plant.

Peperomia

A genus of plant popular with collectors, peperomias have tons of appeal. Also known as radiator plants, this group is low-maintenance and perfect for beginners.

There are plenty of species to choose from, from the rounded Peperomia obtusifolia (baby rubber plant) to the social media sensation Peperomia argyreia, commonly known as watermelon peperomia. With so much variety, it’s easy to see why they have become collector’s items.

You can propagate these plants in many ways, one of which is from leaf cuttings. Simply remove a healthy, large leaf from the plant where the petiole (the small leaf stem) meets the stem. Plant it in propagating mix, keeping it moist to encourage root growth. You can also cut the leaf in half horizontally to conserve moisture, placing the cut side down into the soil to grow more leaves.

African Violet

A more traditional houseplant once again coming back in fashion is the African violet. These compact plants are beloved for their soft grey-green leaves and gorgeous purple blooms that pop up through spring and summer when conditions are right.

Much like peperomia, African violets are easy to grow from a simple leaf cutting, giving you more blooms over the season at absolutely no cost.

Using sharp and disinfected shears, remove a large and healthy leaf at the petiole. To direct energy toward new leaf growth rather than making the current leaf bigger, you can cut the leaf in half horizontally, but this step is not strictly necessary. Root in propagating mix and keep it moist until new growth appears. New leaves should pop up around the cutting within a couple of months.

ZZ Plant

ZZ plant joins the snake plant on the short list of almost unkillable plants. As many who already have one can testify, you can leave it alone for weeks or even a few months, and it will continue to look as good as the day you bought it.

The structural leaves are unlike any other houseplant on the market, and new cultivars are being developed with interesting colors and growth patterns. These houseplants can also grow from leaves easily.

To propagate Zamioculcas zamiifolia from a single leaf, start by choosing a healthy stem. Remove a couple of leaves with your fingers, taking part of the stem at the same time. Simply root these in a seedling tray filled with propagating mix. Only bury the very bottom of the leaf to stop the rest from rotting. They may take a while to grow, but they will be well worth the wait.

Begonia

Another indoor flowering favorite, Begonia rex is not one of the most common indoor plants and is often grown outdoors as a shade plant. However, if you’re looking to add a pop of color to your indoor space, the foliage of this plant is the way to go. Featuring interesting textures and patterns in reds, purples, greens, and more, these plants know how to add drama and interest to an indoor space.

If you want these houseplants to grow from leaves, the process is slightly different. Start by choosing a large leaf with plenty of veins and no signs of disease or damage. Remove it from the plant and flip it over so the underside is visible.

Then, using a sharp blade, make small one-inch cuts along the veins of the leaf, concentrating on areas closer to the base. Flip the leaf back over and place it on a seedling tray filled with propagating mix. Pin it to the soil using bent paper clips to maintain contact and keep it moist until new growth develops.

Kalanchoe

There are around 125 species of succulent Kalanchoe plants that come from tropical Africa. Out of these, it is usually Kalanchoe blossfeldiana that is found in nurseries and grown indoors.

In late winter and early spring, they produce clusters of flowers in bright yellow, red, orange, pink, and white. They flower for months at a time, and with a bit of a rest period, low light manipulation to force budding, and a good dose of fertilizer, they can rebloom, making them popular indoor plants.

The best way to propagate Kalanchoe is by stem or leaf cuttings. To grow these houseplants from leaves, choose healthy leaves and place them on a piece of newspaper in a dry spot for two to three days to allow the ends to callus over, preventing rotting.

Fill a clean pot with damp succulent mix, or make your own using coarse sand, perlite, and coconut coir. Place the calloused piece of stem attached to the leaf into the soil mix. Set it in a warm spot out of direct sunlight and mist every so often, but don’t overwater. The cuttings should root in a few weeks and can then be transplanted into their own pots.

Jade Plant

A plant that needs almost no care is the jade plant, or as it’s botanically named, Crassula ovata. It looks like a small tree once mature, with pretty clusters of pink and white star-shaped flowers that bloom on the ends of the branches. This decorative houseplant will live a lifetime with proper care.

To grow these houseplants from leaves, remove the leaves from a healthy, mature plant and allow them to sit for a few days in a warm place to callus over the cut ends. This prevents root rot and encourages rooting.

Fill a pot with slightly damp potting soil, take each leaf, and lay it on the top of the soil horizontally. Cover the callused end of the leaf with a little soil and place the container in bright indirect sunlight. Don’t water yet. Wait a few weeks until the little roots are secure in the soil.

Give the leaf a gentle tug to check rooting after two weeks. If the roots are secure, water well so they start moving downward in the soil and become established. Let the soil dry out and water again. Keep this up until the plants are looking good and ready for their own containers.

Hoya kerrii

Out of all the 500 or so species of Hoya, the sweetheart hoya is perhaps the most popular for its big, juicy, heart-shaped leaves. These tropical vines are easy to grow and care for, making them a very popular houseplant, especially around Valentine’s Day.

It is possible to grow these houseplants from leaves, and they look best when grown in small pots. However, due to their slow growth and the fact that leaf cuttings do not have a node, they will more than likely not grow into a full vine. Growing a single leaf as a decorative feature or gift is still a fun experiment, but if you want it to grow into a full plant, propagate by stem cuttings instead.

To make single leaf cuttings, fill a container with moist potting mix combined with a little perlite to improve drainage. Cut the leaves off a healthy plant with as much stem as you can manage. Let the leaves sit out in a dry place for two to three days so the ends callus. Pot them into the soil vertically so the surface of the leaf does not sit on the soil.

The cuttings should root in two to three weeks. Choose single containers to grow these rather than a large pot for many leaves, as they will stay in their small pots for a long time.

Chinese Money Plant

Pilea peperomioides, also known as the Chinese money plant or pancake plant, has the most attractive round leaves, almost like a water lily leaf without the need for water. This succulent plant is grown for its foliage.

Although it does flower in spring, it’s unlikely to bloom indoors. All it needs to flourish is bright light, occasional watering, and some light feeding during the growing season of spring and summer. The leaves tend to move toward the light, so it’s best to rotate the plant often to keep its symmetrical shape.

You can propagate this Pilea from offshoots that grow from the roots or from leaves. For the leaves to grow into full plants, you need to take a bit of the main trunk along with the leaf. Use a sharp knife and follow the leaf down to the trunk. Take a small slice of the trunk, not too much as you don’t want to damage the main plant, and root in water. Place the base of the stalk in the water, not the leaf.

Change the water at least once a week, gently working around the vulnerable new roots as they will be fragile at this stage. Place in a bright area out of direct sunlight, and within a month or two, new plantlets will form at the base of the stalk. These can then be planted up in a pot of their own.

Echeveria

Growing Echeveria indoors can be tricky because they insist on a full day of sunlight to perform well. A lack of sunlight will cause them to become leggy and lackluster. If you have a spot like a sunroom or a conservatory with tons of direct sun, they are rewarding plants to grow.

Sought after for their rosettes of leaves and flower stalks that grow from the center of the plant, they produce dainty flowers in a variety of colors including white, pink, yellow, orange, and red.

Propagating Echeveria is incredibly easy. Take a sharp knife and cut the lower leaves off a healthy plant at the stem. Lay the leaves on a sheet of newspaper and keep them in a cool place for a few weeks. The cut end of each leaf will produce little clusters of leaves that become new plants. Once the roots appear, they can be planted in pots to grow into bigger plants.

Burro’s Tail

One of the most popular sedums that cascade over a pot, burro’s tail (Sedum morganianum) is named for its resemblance to a donkey’s tail. It has thick vines of tightly packed succulent leaves with a light green to grey appearance.

These fleshy stems need plenty of light and soil with good drainage, specially formulated for cacti and succulents. They need little watering and can survive periods of drought but require lightly moist soil when they are young.

Burro’s tail is easy to propagate from stems or leaves. Simply pick a few leaves off a tail and place them on top of a prepared pot of soil. Use a cacti or succulent soil mix, or make your own using potting soil mixed with added coarse sand and perlite or coconut coir.

The soil mix should be moist before placing the leaves. Set them in a brightly lit area that is warm but out of direct sunlight and don’t water again until the soil is dry. After a few days, you should see little shoots. When the shoots are about half an inch long, usually after around two weeks, they can be planted in individual pots.

Swedish Ivy

The cascading nature of Plectranthus australis makes it ideal for hanging baskets. Its common name, Swedish ivy, is a bit of a misnomer in that it’s not from the ivy (Hedera) family of plants, nor is it originally from Sweden.

The Swedes did make it popular though, hence its name. It’s known for its foliage, which also comes in a variegated form, and it flowers with white or lavender blooms in late spring and early summer. It just needs indirect light, moist soil, and a bit of feeding during the growing season.

Propagating any Plectranthus is simple, as these houseplants grow easily from leaves. Cut a leaf off a healthy plant with a node attached. This can be popped into a glass jar with water or planted into damp potting soil to root. If using soil, place the cuttings in a warm spot covered with a plastic bag to keep in the moisture. After two to three weeks, roots should have formed and the plants can be potted into their own containers.

Bryophyllum pinnatum

Also known as the miracle leaf due to its many uses in traditional medicine, Bryophyllum pinnatum belongs to the Crassulaceae family and hails from Madagascar. This perennial succulent has thick, fleshy leaves with a scalloped edge border. It also produces flowers that form on long stems like upside-down bells in a gradient from reddish pink to lime green.

Like all succulents, this popular indoor plant requires lots of bright light, minimal watering, and grows best in a specialized cactus soil mix. It will do well with a balanced fertilizer every three to four months.

To grow these houseplants from leaves, cut off single leaves close to the stem and pack them into a pot filled with potting mix. Within a few months, the leaves will take root and be ready to move into individual pots. Some of these plants may produce little buds on the edges of the leaves.

Each of these tiny buds has the potential to become a new plant. Brush them off onto a tray filled with damp potting mix and place them in a warm position to grow.

Christmas Cactus

Named for its bright pink and red blooms on the end of segmented leaf stems that appear from November through February, the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) is not a typical cactus that grows in hot, dry climates. It is a tropical rainforest epiphytic succulent originating from Brazil.

This plant needs regular watering unlike typical cacti, and also needs good soil drainage. Remembering where they come from, give them bright but not direct light, warmth, and humidity to thrive.

Propagate Christmas cactus after they have finished flowering by taking leaf segment cuttings. In fall, they can also be grown from seed carried in the red fruits. Cut sections of the leaf with three to five segments and leave them in a cool, dry place to form calluses on the ends.

Fill a pot with damp commercial cacti mix or potting soil with added coarse sand or coconut coir. Push each cutting into the soil to about an inch deep. Cover with a plastic bag and wait two to three weeks for the roots to develop. You should be able to see new growth, and the cuttings can then be moved to new containers.

Aloe

There are over 500 named species of aloe and many more hybrids and cultivars grown in gardens. A few, like Aloe vera, are often grown indoors as houseplants. Given plenty of sunlight and some respite from direct rays, these plants can thrive in your home. Don’t water too much and allow the soil to dry out between watering to avoid the root rot that aloes are prone to.

Propagating aloes from leaves is not always successful, as it takes a lot of work for individual leaves to produce roots. It can work, but more often than not the leaves will just rot away. The leaves are juicy and need to dry out for about four weeks or longer before attempting to plant and grow roots.

Take a cutting of a leaf at least four inches long with a sharp, clean knife at an angle. Leave the cuttings to callus over the cut end before planting in moist cacti mix or sandy potting soil to a third of the length of the leaf.

Place in a warm, sunny spot and water carefully, making sure not to overdo it. The plant should root in a few weeks. Alternatively, grow new plants from offsets or ‘pups’ that grow next to mature plants.

Haworthia

Haworthia plants are identified by their fleshy, spiky leaves in a rosette form and the white, bumpy zebra stripes drawn across their leaves. These popular indoor succulents are easy to care for. Simply give them plenty of indirect sunlight, don’t overwater, and keep them warm, not below 40°F (4°C).

The best time to propagate Haworthia is in spring or summer. It’s faster to propagate from offshoots, but they can also grow successfully from individual leaves. Use a healthy young leaf rather than the older leaves at the base of the plant for the best results.

Cut the leaf off with a sharp, clean knife and place it in a cool spot for a few days. Plant in a pot filled with moist cactus potting mix or potting soil with coarse sand and coconut coir added, keeping the cuttings upright. Place in a warm spot and wait two to three weeks for the leaves to make roots before replanting in separate pots.

Stonecrops

Stonecrops are Sedum species that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and forms, all succulent in nature. They are useful plants in the garden or indoors. They all have a rosette form but can also be spiky or trailing with a shallow root system. Grown in sunny spots near windows or on balconies, they prefer rich, well-draining soil and minimal watering.

Sedum plants are one of the easiest to propagate. Simply pull off a few leaves and place them on a tray filled with damp sandy soil. In a couple of weeks, the leaves will start to root and can be packed into new pots ready to grow on. Keep them in a warm spot out of direct sunlight. Water the young plants every few days, but after that, they need little water to thrive.