AprilBird,

"Perhaps there is a good book on the subject someone can recommend..."

There are several good books on the subject. If I had to pick just one, I guess it would be American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques by Alan Toogood.

It has a lot of favorable reader reviews, although you can browse Amazon for a lot of different Propagation books. Scroll down the page on that link for more information. Notice that the Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought section is horizontally scrollable and has a number of links to alternate books in the same subject area.

Use Amazon's Click to LOOK INSIDE! feature where it is available. It can be almost as helpful as browsing in a book store, and Amazon has a much larger selection than any "brick and mortar" book store. However, I have seen the book I mentioned in several local book stores.

Coleus are one of the easiest plants to start cuttings from.

ZM
(not associated with any product or vendor mentioned or linked)

All of the plants you've mentioned are tender perennials (often grown AS annuals), and can be rooted quite easily. Right off the bat, I can't think of any true annuals that can be grown from cuttings, but that's why they are so easy to grow from seed!

It would be helpful if you did some internet reading, I think. Using Google, just type in such words as: 'herbaceous cuttings' or 'stem cuttings' or 'lantana (or any other plant) propagation'. There are, as Zenman says, good resources in the book store or library...including very basic picture guides.

I believe that you need to educate yourself a wee bit before any help from us will be meaningful. Believe me, so many of us will be very happy to help you. Just do a tiny bit of homework first.

Here is a link that might be useful: Just to get you started

Rhizo,

"Right off the bat, I can't think of any true annuals that can be grown from cuttings..."

I respect your credentials as a professional horticulturist. I am not sure what the definition of a "true annual" is. As far as I know, Zinnia elegans (also known as Z. violacea) is a "true annual". For several years now, I have grown zinnias from cuttings, and have even grown cuttings from cutting plants, raising the question in my mind, are zinnias potentially immortal? And does this mean that zinnias are really a secret perennial? I know that some species of Zinnia are listed as perennials. Some interspecific hybrids of zinnias are successful, which makes me wonder if the result of a cross between a perennial and an annual would be one or the other. And is being a perennial or an annual controlled by a simple gene or perhaps a few genes?

Incidentally, are Moss Roses (Portulaca) annuals? I know that they grow rather easily from cuttings. As do petunias and tomatoes.

Just curious.

ZM

If you are interested in not only more of the plants, but larger ones, you can put both coleus and lantana in pots and winter them over inside. I have three lantanas in large pots that are now the size of small shrubs (4 yrs old). They naturally grow that big in tropical areas. It would also allow you more chances with the cuttings, if your first ones fail.

I have been trying cutting for the first time this year. Avalanche Petunias and Begonias, that I needed to trim back. I put the cuttings in a 50/50 wet mix of pearlite and vermiculite in a domed tray, and most pieces had roots in 10 days. I am sure some things are trickier, but those rooted easily.

I have taken cuttings during the summer of many annuals and perennials and put them in damp potting mix and placed them in a shaded area. Keep them moist and most will root easily.

Hello, Zen! There are some zinnia species that are listed as perennials, and I feel strongly that there is a bit of important gene sharing between the species. I THINK! ;-) I should have remembered your experiences with taking cuttings from zinnias, which I have read about with interest. I've also read that cuttings can be taken from marigolds, but there is lots of perennial 'blood' in their veins, too!

Tomatoes, petunias, and portulaca are tender perennials. Begonia, geranium, coleus, lantana, petunia, pansy, and many more are all tender perennials, not annuals.

A simplified definition of an annual plant, for those who might not be familiar with botanical life cycles, is any plant that grows from seed, reaches maturity and flowers, sets seed, and dies...in one growing season. Many of these plants can be kept from dieing prematurely by deadheading so that they don't set seed. But, if left to their own devices, that's the life cycle.

MANY of tender perennials are referred to as annuals in catalogs and garden centers because that's how they function for us in our home gardens. As tender perennials, they will die when the temperatures get cold, unless protected. In warm locations, those "annuals" might be happy perennials.

Tender perennials die all the way to the roots when exposed to frosts or freezes. It's easy to see why people confuse them with annuals.

Lantana might be called a half-hardy herbaceous perennial, depending upon the species. This means that they die back to the ground with a heavy frost, but in warmer climates will return bigger and better the next year. Doesn't have to be a tropical climate, but warm temperate.

Ok, I'll stop rambling. It's a subject that I find very interesting and full of enticing contradictions.

Rhizo,

"A simplified definition of an annual plant...is any plant that grows from seed, reaches maturity and flowers, sets seed, and dies...in one growing season."

That seems to apply to zinnias, except that most of my zinnias die because they get frozen. I have had some scabious zinnias, and hybrids with scabious heritage, seem to set seed in mature brown seedheads on older branches, while continuing to put out new branches with new flowers.

At this time, I am not certain whether zinnias are tender perennials or annuals. I have had some zinnia specimens behave as true annuals and die after setting seeds. Others seem to set seeds and continue to produce new branches, as if they were tender perennials.

It would be odd and counter-intuitive if being an annual or a tender perennial were simply a genetic factor, like having pink or yellow flowers. I'll keep an open mind on that. Anyhow, thanks for your informative response above.

ZM

Thanks a bunch for all the info. I am 'mostly' interested in having the same plant and maybe bigger. I have discovered that many things are tender perennials and can be overwintered (5 years ago I couldn't even keep straight 'annual' vs 'perennial' and had no idea what 'overwinter' :) )

I bought a pretty large Lantana at the end of last season for like $.50 and thought "what the heack" and tried overwintering that in the garage. I was THRILLED this year when it came back. It is pretty big, now and has buds. I will keep over wintering that.

I'd love for my one Coleus to over winter and my Torenia, though I do like some Torenia in the ground, too, so cutting of that would be good. I like lantana in the ground as well.

I've tried my hand at cuttings of several things, but the ones that have succeeded (flukes almost it seems) were things that went into the ground fairly quickly. Keeping things going over winter seems tricky(for me anyway) since I seem to be struggling with getting things to root at all, lately. I can get things to 'root' in water, but then when transfering to soil, they die. Found out why (sort of) and that starting in soil is 'better', but when I start in potting soil, I never seem to even get roots.

I've ask questions over in the propagation board, too, and I've been 'googling'. Just keep learning and trial and error(more error than trial, lately). A book hanging around to reference will be good, too.

As I said, thanks for all the good advice and some books to reference. You may hear from me again....

April, if you see this...email me via 'My Page' and I can give you some pointers on getting some cuttings going.