What shrubs/trees root easily in water?

I've heard that hibiscus, and willows can root in water. Has anyone tried other shrubs or trees?

I haven't thought of trying this - but I might have to now that it's been brought to my attention :-) I always seem to find that if I don't know something shouldn't work and, in my "ignorance", I try it, it works more often than it doesn't.

Still, I too am interested in hearing about others' experiences with this.

I imagine shrubs that naturally grow by the waters edge may root easily in water . Examples: Elderberries, Red-osier Dogwood, Swamp red Maple...

Frankford-
I'm taking MG classes this year and our propogation speaker/teacher warned us about rooting plants in water. He commented that it makes the roots very brittle and he only does it when he plans to keep the plant in the water. I don't know the science behind it--I just remember that comment.

Brugs - I have about 20 in water now . H202 and supertrive in water .

Hello hobbygirl

Let further me write where you stopped.
A plant or root needs more energy to pull water out of the soil than out of water. So it is a lot of stress for the plant/root if it come from the water into the soil. Therefore the roots which have grown in the water should be so small as possible if they come into the soil. The rearrangement is simpler for the plant/root with that.

Dietmar

Thanks, Dietmar-
I'm definetely not an expert on this subject.
So are you suggesting that once the plant has developed a few roots that it should be put in soil b4 the roots get too big?
That makes sense.
The speaker did not say that you couldn't root directly into water, just the opposite. What he said was translanting from plant that had been rooted in water to planting in the soil could be tricky because the roots would break easily and the plant would often "not do well".

Nerium oleander. Just cut some woody branches maybe one-half inch thick, a foot and a half long, and stick them somewhere in a bucket of water in the shade until they get lots of roots, then plant. Foolproof, at least around here.


This message was edited Feb 16, 2006 7:57 PM

I always root cuttings in potting soil that is very wet. Then they can get the ease of growth water would give them and transition into the soil below. I do all my cuttings this way and forsythia is one that is very easy to propagate this way. Sometimes I just cut off pieces of it and push it into a part of the ground that is consistently wet, such as where the ac drains off in the warm weather, When I see significant growth I just pull it up and plant it where I want it to be permanently planted. They are so easy to propagate that I think I over do it and have them all over the property now. But you can never get enough shrubs and bushes to fill in spaces here.

Willow definitely is easy, and has either a super growth hormone, or an abundance of growth hormone (can't remember which). All summer long, I make Willow Water; I take growing shoots from my Salix alba, (up to three feet long), cut them into 2" pieces, and then soak them in a bucket of water. The more willow, the better. I use that water for water rooting and watering cuttings. It cuts rooting time in half! I don't know how long the hormones last, however, so I don't know if you can overwinter a batch.

Hormones will keep better if stored in the refrigerator. I keep all my plant hormones for propagation in an old basement refrigerator.