Tag: shrub

Easy Tip Layering: A Guide to Hydrangea Propagation

On By durhammastergardenersIn Durham NC, hydrangea, propagation, tip layering, Uncategorized

By Jeff Kanters, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

A cluster of white hydrangea flowers against a leafy background.


Hydrangeas, including the variety ‘Annabelle’ seen here, are beloved plants in many Triangle-area landscapes. This showy shrub is right at home in a pollinator, rain, or shade garden and supports wildlife. (Image credit: Elsa Spezio CC-BY-SA 2.0)

As a Durham County Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer, I’ve had the chance to dive into the world of plant propagation, learning and honing my skills in growing plant cuttings from various plants. The process of taking and rooting cuttings from a plant to get a new plant genetically identical to the parent plant is termed asexual propagation. This offers an advantage in creating more plants with the exact same characteristics as the parent plant. However, there are also other ways of asexually propagating plants besides taking cuttings. One that I have found useful is called tip layering1 and worth trying.

The Art of Tip Layering For Plant Propagation


Tip layering is a propagation method whereby a portion of a flexible limb or stem of a plant still attached to the parent plant is secured a few inches into the soil with the tip exposed above the soil, and the stem under the soil is allowed to root. This method of layering reduces water stress and maintains high carbohydrate and nutrient levels on the stem. Once fully rooted in the soil, the stem is cut from the parent plant and allowed to grow and develop separately on its own.


A hand-drawn illustration of a green plant with two leaves emerging from the soil, featuring a curved stem and roots visible below the surface.

Illustration of the parent plant (right) and one of its stems (left) secured under the soil with tip exposed. Note that the buried portion of the stem begins to take root in the soil. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)


One advantage of tip layering is that you may get a larger plant established more quickly than a smaller rooted cutting. Also, plants propagated by this layering technique generally form roots more quickly with greater overall success than when they are propagated by cuttings. Not all plants respond well to this layering method, but many plants, like some vines or shrubs, such as azaleas, viburnum, climbing roses and native honeysuckle, have a natural ability to root easily if a portion of a limb or stem remains in contact with the soil for a period of time. How many of you may have left a lower hanging limb or vine touching the ground, only to find that after a year or so the limb had rooted on its own? Viola! Nature has been doing this as long as plants have been on the earth.

One group of plants that I have had success with easy tip layering are hydrangeas, especially the Hydrangea arborescens, ‘Annabelle.’ But first a simple word of caution: before you propagate, check for an active patent. When considering propagating any plant, especially a newer cultivar, you must first check the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database to determine if that specific type of plant is under an active patent. Plant patents are 20 years in duration from the time of application acceptance to its expiration date. If a plant is under an active patent, it is considered illegal to propagate for personal use or to sell until that patent expires and the plant then enters the public domain.

Fortunately, the hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ is not a patented hydrangea as it was discovered and propagated by gardeners around 1910 long before it was introduced into the nursery trade.

A lush bush of white hydrangea flowers surrounded by green leaves, with a wooden fence and a window with flower boxes in the background.


An impressive flowering Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ I like to call “Miss Annabelle” in my own landscape. Last year, I recorded a step-by-step process as I used tip layering to propagate a clone plant from this grand specimen. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Key Components to Propagation through Tip Layering

When thinking about tip layering, remember it’s all about timing and the age of the plant stem. Timing in any type of propagation is important to successfully root many plants. The active growing period between spring and summer is the most ideal time for most plants as they are actively growing and the plant hormone levels are high. Also, the age of the stem makes a difference. A stem from last season’s growth or the current season’s growth are the best. Because of their youth and vigor, they may root more easily than an older woody stem.

As my hydrangea rapidly put out new growth last spring (2025) I continued to monitor it. By mid-summer I noticed a couple stems from last year’s growth or of the current season’s growth that would be worth propagating on the hydrangea. Let me take you through my process for performing tip layering on one of the stems of “Miss Annabelle.”

Assemble Your Tools
  • Three U-shaped landscape staples (a rock or small brick would work also).
  • Garden trowel.
  • Propagating knife (similar small garden knife works).
  • Powdered rooting hormone. I prefer powder because liquid hormones are difficult to apply. A quick note on storing powdered rooting hormones: store powdered rooting hormones in their original containers in a cool, dark location. After about two years, they lose most of their potency and should be replaced.
  • Small plastic cup to hold powdered hormone.
  • Q-tip.
A collection of tools on a dark countertop, including three U-shaped metal stakes, a small plastic cup with white powder inside, a container with a purple lid, a knife with a purple handle, and a cotton swab.

Tools for tip layering as outlined above. All that’s missing in this photo are the gardening trowel and the gardener. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Simple Tip Layering Process
A person with a hand reaching down to touch a green plant leaf in a garden area, with a checkered tray and a shoe visible in the background.
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A close-up of a person's hand holding a gardening tool, digging into the soil among green plant leaves.
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A hand gently touches the soil alongside green leaves and stems, indicating a gardening or planting activity.
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Steps and image numbers correspond. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Step 1: First, I chose a low hanging stem of the new season’s growth that has put out about two feet of growth over
the season. Then, I inspected the stem to ensure that it was flexible enough to bend to the ground without it breaking.

Step 2: I determined the location at the soil level where to best bend the stem down to anchor it and dug out a about three-inch-long and three-inch-deep trench in the soil with a trowel.

Step 3: I then set the stem in the trench to test placement.

Step 4: I poured less than a quarter teaspoon of rooting powder into a little plastic cup. Less is more. Used hormone is discarded and never returned to the original container to reduce contamination. Then, I sprayed 70% alcohol over the propagation knife to sanitize it before use. Spraying with Lysol also works. (Note: no corresponding photo)

Step 5: I tested the placement of the stem at the trench spot and then identified a location under a node on the stem to lightly scrape the surface of the stem, about an inch long, just enough to rough the surface and expose the inner layer.

A hand holding a small knife, cutting a green plant stem while surrounded by soil and leaves.
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A close-up image of two hands holding a green plant stem, demonstrating the process of splitting or examining the stem close to the soil.
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(Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Step 6: I swirled the Q-tip in the small cup of rooting hormone powder, then I lightly rubbed the Q-tip of rooting powder along the scraped surface of the stem.

Step 7: I placed the stem section with rooting hormone along the bottom into the trench, set the three landscape staples to secure the stem to the soil

Step 8: Finally, I backfilled the trench with the surrounding soil.

A hand using a small tool to dig into dark soil among green plant leaves.
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Close-up of green leaves on the ground with soil and small twigs visible.
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(Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Care After Plant Stem is Set for Tip Layering

I watered the area to ensure good soil-to-stem contact and kept the area deeply watered weekly when there was no rain for the following few months. I placed a marker at the site of the propagation. I left the stem in place over the remainder of the growing season, through fall and winter.

Close-up of green leaves on a small hydrangea plant, showcasing their texture and vibrant color, with a background of soil and mulch.

Success! Now in May of 2026, the stem I used for tip layering appears to be thriving. I will continue to monitor root development through this growing season. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

This spring, as the plant puts out new growth, I will inspect the buried stem for rooting. When rooted, I will cut off the stem from the parent shrub and either allow another year of growth and further root development in that location, or transplant to a gallon pot to establish and grow more before transplanting to a new site or passing on to other interested gardeners. Be patient. I’ve learned from experience that hydrangeas tend to benefit by allowing them a full year from summer through winter to the following spring for best root development and successful transplanting. Every plant is different though.

Give this propagation method a try. It’s a great way to produce more and bigger plants!

Notes

1–Tip layering is one layering method for plant propagation and probably one of the simplest for homeowners to try. Other methods include air layering, mound layering, and compound layering.

Resources and Additional Information


Plant Patent Laws and Propagation
Layering Propagation for the Home Gardener
Pruning Hydrangea

Edited by Melinda Heigel, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

Article Short Link https://wp.me/p2nIr1-7uD

Plant Detective: Investigating the Intriguing Jerusalem Sage Plant

On By durhammastergardenersIn drought tolerant plants, garden design, sustainability, sustainable gardening, water wise plants

By Melinda Heigel, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

This is the second installment in an ongoing series called Plant Detective, where we uncover science-based information on strange and mysterious sightings in the plant world.

Details of the flower and stem of the mystery plant I recently discovered on a walk with dogs Baby and Cole, assistant plant detectives. While it looked like a cross between a bee balm and lamb’s ear, it was something I’d never seen before! (Image credit: Stan Shebs CC BY-SA 3.0; Linda De Volder CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

On one of our daily dog walks, I recently stumbled across a plant I simply could not identify. It was a gorgeous mounded shrub with fuzzy, soft, gray-green leaves–the kind you just have to touch–and a lot like the lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) or the garden sage we all know. Graceful arching stems sported multiple flower clusters along each stem, much like snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus). And the vivid yellow flowers encircling the stem looked like a silly court jester’s hat. In a more appropriate botanical reference, they appeared similar to the bee balm flower (Mondara spp.). What was this cool plant? An online search of the NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox turned up a positive ID: Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa).

Characteristics and Growing Conditions for Jerusalem Sage

(Left to right) The large stand of Jerusalem sage I encountered was nearly 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide and acted as a small hedge for the homeowner’s landscape. Once the flowers drop, textural seed heads continue to provide visual interest. Deadheading the plant can encourage longer bloom time. Seed heads eventually turn brown and can be a food source for birds in the fall. (Image credit: Melinda Heigel)

A member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), Jerusalem sage is native to arid yet temperate Mediterranean regions like Greece, Italy, Cyprus, and Albania. It is also naturalized in southwest England and parts of California. This plant has a mounding habit and can function like a shrub or subshrub. Depending on the variety, it can grow up to 4 feet wide and 5 feet tall. Silvery-green velvety leaves are around 5 inches long and have a pleasant scent. Tall vertical stems rise from the plant and support whorled flowers repeating along its arches. And while the 2-to-3-inch flowers have no scent, they are spiky and eye-catching. The plant I stumbled across had a brilliant yellow flower. Other species of Phlomis have a soft pink bloom.1

You can see why the plant’s common name includes the word “sage.” Its soft velvety leaves resemble that of our edible herb garden sage (Salvia officinalis) and other ornamental Salvia plants, even though they are not related. (Image credit: Melinda Heigel)

While these plants have the reputation of being fairly adaptable in many soils, well-drained soils are are a must. This perennial prefers full sun and can perform in part sun; planting it in shade will often result in a leggy plant short on its spectacular spring and summer blooms. In our region of central NC (Zone 8), Jerusalem sage is evergreen; in Zones 5-7, it’s deciduous.

Jerusalem sage has a long list of positive attributes. Overall, this plant is low maintenance and resilient. While weeks of drought like we’ve recently experienced might call for some supplemental watering, it needs little extra irrigation once established. It is heat tolerant and prefers leaner soil (read no fertilizing). It grows quickly but generally is a well-behaved inhabitant in the garden, only requiring you to prune to maintain shape and lightly in late winter before spring growth commences. If you are willing to do the work, deadheading spent flowers in the spring means you will enjoy additional flowering, thus extending the bloom cycle throughout the summer.

With only leafhooper insects as a potential threat, Jerusalem sage has no serious pests or pathogens. Here’s a big bonus–this plant is both deer and rabbit resistant, and its flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Spent seed heads can also provide food for songbirds.

How to Use Jerusalem Sage in the Landscape

This plant can wear many hats in the garden. It’s suitable for containers or as a stunning specimen plant. Planted en masse, it could make a great year round statement. As in the landscape where I first saw it, it can serve as part of a mixed screen planting bordering a yard. Given its height, it’s probably best as a “back of the border” plant in a mixed bed.

In terms of garden design, I can see this versatile plant looking right at home in a cottage-style garden of glorious native perennials like purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), sunflowers (Helianthus spp.), butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), and scaly blazing-star (Liatrus spicata). Equally, I can see it as a stunner alongside other water-wise plants in a xeriscape of agave, yucca, and cacti like our native eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa).

I hope you’ve discovered a new plant right alongside me this week. Given the challenging environmental changes we continue to see, I am planning on giving this easy-to-grow and drought-resistant plant a try. And while I haven’t seen Jerusalem sage at local nurseries yet, I found many online resources where the plant is readily available.

As always, keep an eye out next time you are walking. Who knows what intriguing things you might see! With late summer and fall or the horizon, what plant mystery will we solve next?

Notes

1–The genus Pholmis has many varied species, so make sure to research thoroughly those other than the Phlomis fruticosa discussed here. Required growing conditions will vary per species.

2–Xeriscaping is type of landscape design that keeps water conservation in mind and requires minimal supplemental water once plants are established.

Resources and Additional Information

For more on Jerusalem sage, see NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/phlomis-fruticosa

For more information on water-wise landscape design, check out NC Department of Environmental Quality’s site on xeriscaping.

https://www.deq.nc.gov/environmental-assistance-and-customer-service/nc-green-travel-documents/xeriscape/download

For more on native and non-native drought-resistant plants, see NC Botanical Garden’s plant list as well as our former blog post “Ten Plants That Can Take the Heat.”

Gardening for a Drought: North Carolina Native Plants to the Rescue

https://durhammastergardeners.com/2022/05/18/ten-plants-that-can-take-the-heat/

Article Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-4Nj

Assistant plant detectives Baby and Cole are always on the case. (Image credit: Melinda Heigel)