How to Propagate African Violet Plants

About Propagating African Violets

People love growing African Violet plants. Your African Violet looks great, and you want to propagate it to give one to a friend. Or, perhaps your friend has an African Violet that you would love to have in your home. In either case, you can propagate them by rooting leaf cuttings. Propagating African Violet plants is easy. But, it takes several weeks for the cuttings to root, and produce tiny plantlets…. baby plants. Once the plantlets emerge from the soil, it takes even more weeks, for this slow-growing plant to become large enough for you to handle and transplant it into its own container.

Did You Know? African Violets are not true violet plants (Violaceae). Actually, they are Saintpaulia, a completely different genus.

Propagating African Violet Plants

African Violet plants can be propagated by rooting leaf cuttings.

Fill a small pot or container with soft, rich seed-starting soil.
Add water. The soil should be moist, but not soggy.
Cut a young, mature leaf from the parent plant.
Cut off the top half of the leaf. This will help to encourage a focus on root growth.
Make a fresh cut of the leaf stem at a 45-degree angle.
Push the stem into the moist soil in the pot. Keep the soil moist. Tip: Push a pencil into the soil first, to make it easy to insert the stem.
Put the container with the planted leaf into a baggie to help retain moisture.
Place the pot in a warm, bright room, but out of direct sunlight.
After about 12 weeks small plantlets will emerge from the soil.
When the plantlets reach a manageable size, they can be separated and planted into their own flowerpot.

Garden Tip: Looking to make several plants? You can plant one or more leaves into the same container.