How to Propagate a Glory Bush

Preparation

• Sanitize the blades of your garden shears with rubbing alcohol and allow them to air dry. This prevents transferring bacteria to the clippings, which would reduce the chance of rooting. Pour 1/2 inch of gravel in a 4-inch diameter pot with drainage holes to prevent drowning. Add enough peat moss to fill the pot 1/2-inch from the top. Repeat this with one pot for each glory bush clipping you plan to take.

Taking the Clippings

• Cut 4-inch long stem clippings from the tip of an adult glory bush’s branches with the pruning shears. Make the cuts as clean as possible and look for stems without current flower or bud growth. Take two clippings for every glory bush you wish to propagate. If possible, take the clippings early in the morning. Strip the leaves from the lower half of each glory bush clipping. Grasp the leaf at its base where it connects to the stem and pull down firmly to avoid injuring the glory bush. Do this as soon as you finish taking the clippings, leaving no time for their wood to dry.

Rooting the Clippings

• Dip the cut end of one root clipping in liquid rooting hormone and poke it in the center of a prepared pot, halfway down the stem. Repeat this process with each root clipping, one per pot. Moisten each pot with water until it leaks from the drainage holes and place them in a warm area. The clippings should receive full sunlight at least six hours per day. Water the clippings whenever the peat moss dries completely. Observe the clippings over the next two to three weeks. When they begin sprouting new leaves, the stem is rooting. Discard clippings that turn brown and become fragile; their rooting was unsuccessful.

Planting the Clippings

• Transfer the clippings from their current container to a prepared location about two months after they begin producing new leaves. The location can either be in the ground or in a larger planter; opt for a planter if you live in an area that has a risk of frost. Ask an assistant at your local gardening store for specific instructions on planting your species of glory bush. Care varies by environment, location and type of glory bush. Carefully pull the peat moss off the roots and plant them in the prepared area.

Warning

• Glory bush is considered an invasive species in Hawaii, check with local planting regulations before getting started if you are a resident.