I remember standing in my garden last August, looking at a rosemary bush that had grown twice its size since spring. I wanted more of it, but I didn’t want to spend another dollar at the nursery. That afternoon, I cut a few stems, put them in small pots, and waited. By autumn, those little cuttings had grown strong roots of their own.
This is my list of ten plants you can propagate from cuttings in late summer.
All tested. All simple. All worth the small effort.
Quick Summary
- Ten popular backyard plants that root easily from late-summer cuttings.
- Most need to be kept indoors or in a sheltered spot during the winter.
- Best starter pick: Pelargonium (Geranium) because it roots in just a couple of weeks.
The first five plants are my absolute favorites for easy rooting. The rest are for when you want to expand your collection.
1. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
| Sun | Full sun |
| Water | Low, well-drained |
| Height | 12-36 in (30-90 cm) |
| Zone | Zones 5-9 |
Lavender cuttings taken in late summer are called semi-ripe cuttings. The base of the stem is firm, but the tip is still soft.
When you take a cutting, look for healthy, non-flowering stems to get the best results. Flowering stems put their energy into blooms instead of roots, which makes them fail.
I plant these in a mix of peat-free compost and coarse sand. For more details on maintaining your mature lavender plants, you can read my guide on how and when to prune lavender.
2. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
| Sun | Full sun |
| Water | Low, dry conditions |
| Height | 24-72 in (60-180 cm) |
| Zone | Zones 7-10 |
Rosemary is a woodier herb, but it roots reliably in late summer. I cut stems that are about six inches (fifteen centimeters) long from the side of the bush.
Strip the leaves from the bottom half of the stem so they don’t rot in the dirt (ask me how I know). You’ll want to keep the soil damp but not wet while the roots start to grow.
Keep these pots in a warm, sheltered spot out of direct afternoon sun.
3. Geranium (Pelargonium)
| Sun | Full sun to part shade |
| Water | Medium, dry between waterings |
| Height | 12-36 in (30-90 cm) |
| Zone | Zones 9-11 |
This is the one I’d start with if you’re nervous about cuttings. They are incredibly forgiving and root in almost any potting mix.
I remember keeping my first propagated geranium on my kitchen windowsill for a whole winter. It was just a tiny stem in a plastic cup, but it grew into a massive container plant by spring.
Make sure to cut just below a leaf joint, where the plant has the most rooting hormones.
4. Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
| Sun | Part shade, morning sun |
| Water | Medium to high, consistent |
| Height | 36-72 in (90-180 cm) |
| Zone | Zones 5-9 |
Late summer is the best window for hydrangea cuttings because the stems are strong but not yet fully woody. The big challenge is moisture loss because those large leaves transpire very quickly.
To fix this, cut the large leaves in half horizontally. This simple trick reduces the surface area, which keeps the stem hydrated while it tries to root.
If your established plants aren’t putting out new growth or flowers, you might want to look at my tips on why your hydrangea won’t bloom.
5. Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides)
| Sun | Part shade to full shade |
| Water | Medium, consistent moisture |
| Height | 12-36 in (30-90 cm) |
| Zone | Zones 10-11 |
Coleus is famous for its colorful leaves, but it’s also the fastest rooter on this list. I once dropped a broken coleus stem in a glass of water on my windowsill and had roots in five days.
You can root coleus in soil or in a jar of water (seriously, it’s almost unkillable). If you use water, just roots in a jar of plain water then transplant the stem into a pot once the roots are an inch long.
It’s a great way to save your favorite leaf patterns before the first winter frost kills the mother plant.
The plants that survive my forgetting to water are the ones I keep planting more of.
6. English Ivy (Hedera helix)
| Sun | Part shade to full shade |
| Water | Low to medium, drought-tolerant |
| Height | Groundcover or climbing vine |
| Zone | Zones 4-9 |
Honestly, it’s a bit overrated in the ground, but in a pot, it’s perfect. English ivy makes a beautiful trailing plant for containers and window boxes.
To avoid it taking over your yard, I suggest you keep this climber in a pot instead of planting it in the garden beds. Take a six-inch cutting from a growing vine and strip the bottom leaves.
Insert the stem into moist potting soil, and it’ll root within two weeks.
7. Fuchsia
| Sun | Part shade to full shade |
| Water | Medium, keep moist |
| Height | 12-36 in (30-90 cm) |
| Zone | Zones 8-11 |
Fuchsias look beautiful in hanging baskets, but they don’t handle cold winters. Propagating them in August gives you small, healthy plants to keep indoors until next spring.
Choose green, flexible shoots that haven’t developed flowers. You must never let the potting mix dry out completely because fuchsia cuttings need constant humidity to survive.
Covering the pot with a clear plastic bag helps keep the air moist.
8. Salvia (Salvia nemorosa)
| Sun | Full sun |
| Water | Low to medium, well-drained |
| Height | 18-36 in (45-90 cm) |
| Zone | Zones 5-10 |
Woody salvias get leggy by late summer, which is the perfect time to prune them and save the cuttings. The semi-ripe stems root quickly in a sandy soil mix.
I find that salvia roots in about three weeks when kept in a warm spot. Just make sure the cuttings get bright, indirect light rather than hot, direct sun.
Once you see new leaf growth, you’ll know they have successfully rooted.
9. Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)
| Sun | Full sun |
| Water | Medium, dry between waterings |
| Height | 60-120 in (150-300 cm) |
| Zone | Zones 5-9 |
This shrub grows fast, and the late-summer stems are perfect for propagation. Select a shoot that is starting to turn woody at the base but is still green at the top.
Dip the cut end in a bit of rooting powder to give it a boost. It’s a simple step that makes a massive difference in success rates.
Worth every single try.
10. Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
| Sun | Full sun to part shade |
| Water | Medium, well-drained soil |
| Height | Climbing vine, 10-20 ft (3-6 m) |
| Zone | Zones 8-10 |
Star jasmine is a slow starter, but propagating it in August gives the roots months to establish before spring planting. Take a cutting from the semi-ripe wood of a running vine.
The cutting needs a warm, bright windowsill to encourage the root system to develop. Don’t worry if it doesn’t show new leaf growth right away.
Not even close.
Just keep the soil moist, and it’ll surprise you in a few weeks.
Where I Keep My Cuttings Before Winter
Taking the cuttings is only the first step. They need a safe place to grow their root systems without facing the harsh winter frost.
I keep all my late-summer pots on a tray in my unheated garage or on a cool windowsill inside the house. If you want to read more about propagating stems and managing garden cuttings, you can refer to the detailed guide on vegetative propagation from the NC State Extension.
By the time spring arrives, these small starters are ready to be hardened off and planted directly into your garden beds.
Common Questions
1. Should I use rooting hormone for late-summer cuttings?
For woody herbs like rosemary and lavender, rooting hormone helps speed up the process. Easy rooters like geraniums and coleus don’t need it at all.
2. How long does it take for August cuttings to root?
Most cuttings root within two to four weeks. You can test this by gently tugging on the stem; if you feel resistance, roots have started to form.
3. Can I leave the cuttings outside during winter?
No, young cuttings don’t have the root mass to survive freezing temperatures. Keep them in a frost-free, bright space until spring.
— Anh