Leaf-bud Cuttings of Devil’s Ivy and Dragon-tail Vine Varieties Result in Higher Rooting Percentages and Better Rooting Quality than Tip Cuttings

Pothos ( Epipremnum spp.) are popular houseplants that are propagated vegetatively from leaf-bud and tip cuttings. During Sep 2024, two cutting types (two-node leaf-bud and two-node tip) were harvested from stock blocks of two devil’s ivy ( Epipremnum aureum ‘Global Green’ and ‘Shangri-La’) and two dragon-tail vine ( Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Skeleton Key’ and ‘Cebu Blue’) pothos varieties. Six cuttings per experimental unit (e.u.) were stuck in sphagnum moss and rooted for 3 or 4 weeks, respectively, by species. The factorial experimental design had six replications. The data collected were root quality rating, root length, number of secondary roots, and rooting percentage averaged for each e.u. Leaf-bud cuttings outperformed tip cuttings based on every parameter. Dragon-tail vine ‘Skeleton Key’ had a lower rooting percentage than either devil’s ivy cultivar, but the results between cultivars within species were similar. Leaf-bud cuttings provided better rooting results for both devil’s ivy and dragon-tail vine while being more plentiful compared with tip cuttings.