Lapageria from cuttings

Traditionally Lapageria were propagated from "Layers" and this remains a good method taking between 2 and 3 years to produce a plant with a root system capable of being independent. But it is also possible take cuttings which I would describe as slow rather than difficult.

Detailed below is the method I use. My preferred medium is a Peat and Perlite mix the proportions of which do not appear critical (I use 2 peat 1 perlite)

Step 1 harvest the cutting material, cuttings will take at most times of year but winter seems best (November - March) Avoid soft new growth and discard the bits of stem with the old flower buds, I prefer 3 node cuttings with the bottom leaf removed and top leaves reduced as required, these are placed so that the bud is about 1 cm (half an inch) below the surface. Place the cuttings around the edge of a pot or use individual plugs

Placed on heat in a mist unit the cuttings will just sit and after about 1 year the basal bud will start to swell, eventually becoming like small lily bulbs, at this stage it is easy to see why Lapageria were formally part of the Liliacaea family

Roots normally form first

and eventually new shoots will start to appear, patience is needed as cuttings need to be well rooted as below before you try and move them

Once the small plant is well established in a small pot, it can be moved on and grown for a further 2 years before the root and stem system will be big enough to support it outside.