The Hawaiian ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa) is a great houseplant for brightly lit, humid areas of the home, and they can also be grown outdoors in tropical climates. They are easy to grow and come in many beautiful types with fantastic colors.
Fortunately, they are a very easy plant to propagate. Also known as the “good luck plant,” the Hawaiian ti plant holds true to that nickname in how easily propagated it is!
Even if you’ve never propagated a plant before, don’t worry, after reading this Hawaiian ti plant care guide you’ll have no trouble at all, so let’s get started.Â
What is the Hawaiian Ti Plant?
The Hawaiian Ti plant has long and large leaves that can measure up to three feet in length, and they come in a wide range of colors, from green to reddish-purple.
The plant, native to tropical regions, is typically grown in well-draining soil in a pot or in the ground, and it prefers to be in partial sun to survive. However, it can tolerate full sun if you acclimate it gradually.
One of the primary issues that a Hawaiian Ti plant may encounter is root rot, which can arise when the plant is overwatered or the pot does not have enough drainage.
Make sure the pot or container has proper drainage holes and that you avoid overwatering it. You’ll want to let the soil go slightly dry between watering to avoid root rot.
Why Propagate via Ti Plant Cuttings?
The Hawaiian Ti plant is amongst the easiest tropical plants to propagate by the process of taking cuttings.
Typically, these cuttings are taken as stem sections and are then required to be dipped into a rooting hormone. After that, they should be kept in a warm and moist environment for two to five weeks to develop roots.
Once the roots have formed, you should transfer the cutting into a shallow pot filled with potting mix. Keep it in partial sun, and gradually expose it to full sun once the plant starts to develop roots and become established.
If you want to grow a Hawaiian Ti plant from a seed, you must know that the process is considered more challenging and time-consuming than starting with cuttings. Your best bet may be to purchase a young seedling rather than growing one from seeds.
If you go ahead with growing one from seeds, you must keep in mind that the plant can take up to two to three years to mature into a full-grown plant.
How to Propagate Hawaiian Ti Plant
Before we get started at propagating new Hawaiian ti plants, let’s take a look at what you will need:
- A healthy mature plant to take a cutting from
- A clean, sharp cutting tool
- Root hormone powder (optional)
- A vase full of water/ small container filled with potting soil
Stem Tip Cuttings
The fastest way to propagate a new Hawaiian ti plant with big healthy leaves is to take a stem tip cutting. This is a very easy method, so don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of experience with plant propagation. Let’s take a look at the steps:
Take your cutting
For this method, you can take a pretty long cutting of around 10-12 inches (25-30cm) in length from the end of the stem. Use a sharp and clean tool to make the cut. It’s always a good idea to disinfect the blades on your cutting tools to prevent the spread of fungi and bacteria between your plants.
Remove the lower leaves
Next, you’ll need to remove some of the lower leaves from the stem so that you can fit the cutting into your vase. Hawaiian ti cuttings that have about 4-8 inches (10-20cm) of stem below the first leaves will work for this propagation technique.Â
Treat with hormone powder
Dipping the cut end of your cutting in root hormone powder will speed up the rooting process. If you don’t have any, don’t worry, you can still be successful without it.
Set in water/soil
Now that your cutting is prepared, it’s time to set it in a medium of your choice and wait for roots to develop. It should be in partial shade.
You can put the cutting into a vase full of distilled water and wait for it to take root (planted vertically) . This is a fun method that is very interesting to watch, but you will have to pot the cutting in a suitable soil-filled pot once the root system has developed.
Be sure to change the water in the vase every few days to keep it clean.Â
Alternatively, you can root the cutting directly in potting soil, and let it grow directly into its new home.
Stem Cuttings
This is another very easy way of propagating new Hawaiian ti plants. If you are going to try the stem tip cutting method for your tropical plant, why not try this method as well? Here’s how to do it:
The Cuttings
For this method, you will need stem cuttings of 4-6 inches (10-15cm) in length. The cuttings used will have no roots or leaves and are often simply referred to as ti logs. You’ll plant the logs horizontally with the stem inserted into the soil.
You can take several cuttings from longer stems, and you can even keep the end of the branch for making a stem tip cutting at the same time. Remember to use clean, sharp tools when taking the Ti cuttings.Â
Hormone powder treatment
If you’d like to increase the root growth rate of your Hawaiian ti cuttings, or simply improve your success rate, consider picking up some root hormone powder from your local garden center.
To use it, simply dip the bottom cut into the powder before planting your Cordyline fruticosa. Some people swear by adding nail polish to the good luck plant cuttings to harden them up and make them stronger, though this hasn’t been backed by much research.
Rooting
With your Hawaiian ti cuttings prepared, it’s time to plant them in some potting soil. Keep the soil moist and they should start growing new leaves and roots with no other action necessary. Once you see new growth and leaf buds, you can put your plant in full sun.
Easy right? Now you can see how easily propagated these plants are!
Safety
Although the Hawaiian ti plant is generally considered to be a safe houseplant to keep, the sap it contains is toxic. Take care when working with Hawaiian ti cuttings and be sure to keep them away from children and pets.Â
Final Thoughts on Hawaiian Ti Plant Propagation
Propagating new Hawaiian ti plants (Cordyline fruticosa) is very easy and a great way of expanding your houseplant collection. After reading this article, you are ready to roll up your sleeves and get your green thumbs busy!
Now that you have new Hawaiian ti plants to care for, be sure to check out this detailed guide for even more great information.Â
