Propagating Clusia (Autograph Tree) from Cuttings: Water vs. Soil, Rooting Time and Growing On Two Cuttings

A plant that wants to be propagated

Clusia roots strongly from the stem nodes; prunings left in a glass of water will often root on their own. Growers propagate it by cuttings, and the offspring keep the parent's leaf size and branching. A 'Princess' cutting gives you 'Princess'; a variegated cutting gives you a variegated plant.

The best time is late spring into early summer, once temperatures are steady and new growth is moving, and cuttings taken through late summer root well too. Cuttings started in fall slow down as it cools, so plan to nurse them indoors in warmth until spring. Rooting takes one to two months, and until new growth appears there is a long stretch where nothing seems to be happening. That is normal.

Preparing the cutting

Soft new growth and slightly woody stems both root, but the best cuttings come from firm stems just turning from green to brown. Cut a piece 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) long with two or three nodes, strip the lower leaves and keep two to four at the top. The cut bleeds a sticky yellow sap, so wear gloves and wash the pruners afterward.

1. Cut just below a node Roots emerge from the nodes, so make the cut about a quarter inch (5 mm) below the lowest node with sharp, clean pruners that do not crush the stem.
2. Strip the lower leaves; halve big ones Remove any leaf that would sit in water or soil. If the remaining leaves are large, cut them in half to reduce water loss while the cutting has no roots.
3. Soak the cut end for half a day before sticking Rinse the sap off and stand the cutting in a glass of water for half a day to hydrate. For soil cuttings, then let the cut end dry for an hour or two so it is less likely to rot.
4. Rooting hormone is optional Hormone powder evens out rooting but Clusia does not need it. If you use it, use it on soil cuttings.

Rooting in water

Stand the cutting in a clear container and wait for roots. Because you can watch, this is the method for a first try. Change the water daily, or at least every two or three days, and keep the container in bright shade. Submerge the node but keep the leaves out of the water. Move to soil when the roots are 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm) long.

1. Node under the waterline The lowest node has to be below the surface. If a wide glass lets the cutting tip over, use a narrow-necked bottle or stretch plastic wrap over the top and poke the stem through.
2. Fresh water every 2 to 3 days Cloudy water rots the cut end. At each change rub the slime off the base with a finger and rinse the container. In winter use room-temperature water.
3. Pot up at 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm) of root When several white roots reach that length, plant it. Roots grown long in water adapt poorly to soil, so move early rather than late.
4. Keep it moist for the first 1 to 2 weeks Water roots are slow to take up water from soil at first. For the first week or two, water when the surface dries, a little more often than usual, then drop back to normal intervals.

Rooting in soil

Stick the cutting in a clean, fertilizer-free medium such as seed-starting mix, perlite or a fine bark and perlite blend. Use a 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) pot per cutting, or several cuttings around one pot, and keep it in bright shade, just moist. You cannot see roots form, so after a month or two give the cutting a gentle tug; resistance means roots.

1. Fertilizer-free medium Regular potting mix contains fertilizer that rots the cut end. Use a propagation mix or straight perlite. A 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) pot is plenty.
2. Make a hole first Pushing the stem straight into the medium bruises the cut. Make a hole with a pencil, set the cutting in with the lowest node buried, and firm gently.
3. Bright shade, barely moist No direct sun. Mist or water lightly when the surface dries; soggy medium rots cuttings. Aim for damp, not wet.
4. Pot on when new growth appears After one to two months, new leaves and resistance to a gentle tug mean it has rooted. Grow it on in place or move it to regular houseplant mix in a pot one size up.

Growing on two cuttings

Starting with two rooted or unrooted cuttings, bought or taken from a parent plant, is the most common way people begin with Clusia. Two is insurance and an experiment: root one in water and one in soil and compare, and once both have rooted either combine them in one pot or grow them separately.

1. Separate small pots at first Cuttings root on their own schedules. One per 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) pot lets you water each according to its progress, and a failure in one does not affect the other.
2. Combine them once both have rooted When both are putting out new leaves, plant them together about 2 in (5 cm) apart in a 5 to 6 in (13 to 15 cm) pot for a fuller plant sooner. Or keep them apart and give one away.
3. Fall starts wait until spring Cuttings stuck in fall may not root until spring as temperatures drop. Keep them above 50 F (10 C) in bright indoor light, just moist, and leave them alone until new growth shows.
4. Log the date stuck and the date growth started Record when you stuck the cuttings, water changes or waterings, when new growth appeared and when you potted on. It sets your timing next year and lets you compare the two.

When it goes wrong

Failures come down to three things: the base rots, the leaves drop, or roots never appear. The usual causes are dirty water, soggy medium or not enough warmth. If one cutting fails and you still have the parent, take another.