Hibiscus Syriacus cuttings

I have some 50+ - year - old shrubs in different varieties on a side of the house that can not be seen. This summer, I dug up some of the "spring-ups" near them and transplanted them to an area where they can be enjoyed (4 of 5 survived). About 2 weeks ago, I took some cuttings and put them in glasses of water. The cuttings from the all-white cultivar almost immediately sprouted little nodes (for lack of a better word) all up and down the stem under the water. None of the other varieties did that. Can someone tell me what these things are?

Those are indeed roots. I've heard they root easily, I imagine the other varieties you took cuttings from will follow suite.

Thank you! They all died, however, and only the ones in the picture remain alive. I appreciate your help -- they don't look like any roots I've seen before and I wanted to be sure.

Mary, what would happen if you just add a little potting soil at a time to that water when they get the nodes. Kind of trick them, and see if they make it.

Jeanette

The others actually didn't develop nodes at all. I added soil to one of them just to see what would happen, but it died as well.

Is there a "best place" to make the cut on the stem perhaps?

I would think, like anything else, to have some leaf nodes. Have you tried rooting compound? Like Dip It, or Rootone?

I haven't but it's a good suggestion. Thanks. I'll get some and give it a shot!

Be sure to cut it to where there are a couple of leaf nodes. Take those leaves off so the roots will grow from there.

Thanks. I'll get this right yet -- you just wait and see!

I know you will. I went back and read your first post, and no, we can't tell you what they are just from the stem. You need to include leaves and flowers if there are any in the picture.

I was going to ask you what the plant itself looked like. How tall, how wide, color, leaves, flowers, when does it bloom if it does, what color does it bloom, what does the flower look like? Etc.

You just might get a lot of trading material out of them if you can let us know all of that.

Good luck.

Jeanette

Oh, I know what the plant is -- it's a solid white hibiscus, a cultivar that's 50+ years old. When it bloomed, I took a cutting from a non-blooming branch on the same plant. I have dug up and transplanted several of the seedlings that have popped up around the old bushes (4 cultivars) but am not certain which ones they were. I thought I could do some this way as well with certainty, as I'd like to end up with some of each cultivar.

The only thing I was wondering about was the appearance of all those little white nodes along the submerged stem of my cutting. It looked a bit strange to me and I wanted to be sure they were actually roots.

They are strange looking aren't they? Brug cuttings look like that too when they're rooting in water. Different plants have tissues capable of root growth in different parts of the plants themselves, and some more than others. Tomatoes are another that will kinda look like that when rooting. Other plants will only root at leaf nodes, some will even root from spots on leaves- I love how every little aspect of gardening makes me look closer and closer at the processes of a plant! As I experiment with propagation and observe these things, I see myself as some mad, absent minded professor, LOL.

I feel like I have a front-row seat at The Greatest Show on Earth. So many wonders to see.

I'm trying to water root some weeping hybiscus Have had these babies for 3 years, up till THIS SPRING, I've had nothing but WHITE blooms. . NOW I'm getting PINK blooms on the SAME TREE! anyone have an idea why it's getting diff. color blooms now?