Grow Your Holiday Gifts: Rooted Cuttings in a Glass

There is a gift you can make this year that costs almost nothing, means more than anything from a shop, and keeps growing long after the wrapping paper is gone. It starts with one stem from a plant you already own.

A cutting in a glass of water grows roots you can see. By the time the holidays come, that small jar on your windowsill is a living gift: a piece of your own plant, ready for someone else's home.

The Six-Week Plan

Roots need time, and winter is the slow season. Shorter, darker days mean cuttings root more slowly now than they would in spring. That is why the best time to start is early November.

• Early November: take your cuttings and put them in water.
• Weeks 2 to 4: the first roots appear on the fast plants, like Tradescantia and pothos.
• Weeks 5 to 6: the roots grow an inch or two long (about 2 to 5 cm). The slower plants catch up.
• Mid-December: tie a ribbon, write a tag, and give it away.

If one cutting is slow, take two or three of each plant. You will have spares to give, and you can keep the best one for yourself.

Five Easy Plants to Give

These five root reliably in plain water. The rooting times are for spring, so allow a little longer in winter. For more plants and methods, see 10 Plants That Propagate Easily.

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum). The classic. Cut below a node and roots usually show within one to two weeks. Pothos is toxic to cats and dogs, so give it to a home without pets or with a high shelf.

Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum). Soft, heart-shaped leaves and quick roots, usually within one to two weeks. Like pothos, it is toxic to cats and dogs.

Tradescantia. The fastest of the five: roots can appear within a few days. The ASPCA lists the common Tradescantia fluminensis as toxic to cats and dogs (it can irritate the skin), so treat every Tradescantia as a gift for a pet-free home.

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum). The babies hanging from the mother plant are already partly rooted, so they settle into water within one to two weeks. The ASPCA lists the spider plant as non-toxic to cats and dogs, which makes it the best gift for a friend with pets.

String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii). Delicate trailing vines with tiny heart-shaped leaves. Stem cuttings root in two to three weeks. It looks wonderful in a tall, narrow bottle. We could not confirm it on the ASPCA list, so keep it out of reach of curious pets.

How to Take a Cutting That Roots

Every one of these plants grows roots from the same place: the node. That is the little bump where a leaf meets the stem.

1. Find a node. Look along the stem for the point where a leaf joins it.
2. Cut just below it. Use clean, sharp scissors. A clean cut heals faster and is less likely to rot.
3. Take off the lower leaves. Any leaf that would sit under the water will rot, so remove it.
4. Use room-temperature water. Cold water can slow fresh cuttings down.
5. Give it bright, indirect light. A spot near a window with a sheer curtain is ideal. Direct sun is too strong for a cutting without roots.
6. Change the water about once a week, or sooner if it turns cloudy.

Then leave it alone. Roots grow best when nobody keeps lifting the cutting out to check.

Make It a Gift

The jar is part of the gift, because the roots are the best part to look at. Small jam jars, spice jars, old perfume bottles and narrow vases all work. Wash them well first.

Tie a linen ribbon or a piece of twine around the neck, and add a small care tag. You can copy this one:

Bright, indirect light. Fresh water every week. Pot me up when my roots are a couple of inches long.

A few ideas for giving:

• Bring one to a holiday dinner instead of flowers. Flowers fade in a week; this one will still be growing in spring.
• Host a cutting swap. Ask friends to bring a rooted cutting each, and everyone goes home with something new.
• Make a set. Three small jars with three different plants make a lovely gift for someone starting their first plant collection.

After the Holidays

Your cutting can stay in water for a while, as long as the water stays fresh. When the roots are a couple of inches long, it is ready for a small pot with fresh potting mix. Water it well after potting, then let the top of the soil dry a little before the next watering. A new plant in soil is easy to overwater; 10 Signs You're Overwatering Your Plants shows what to watch for.

Once it is in soil, it is a houseplant like any other, and it will need a care routine of its own.

A Gift That Keeps Growing

One stem, one glass of water, six weeks of patience. That is all it takes to give someone a plant you grew yourself.

When your friends pot up their new plants, PlantRitual can help them keep it going: add the plant, and the app builds a personal care schedule with gentle reminders. A gift that keeps growing deserves a routine that keeps up.