Mommies and
Babies
Plant Biology class (or a middle school
science teacher) likely introduced us to the concept of sexual reproduction between
plants. I know it’s difficult to believe
that in middle school we are exposed to what some might consider “plant
pornography,” but our scientific community understands there are males and
females within plant species. Often
fruit trees require a male cultivar and separate female cultivar to encourage
fertilization, enabling development of fertilized blossoms into fruits. (i.e., Apricot ‘Sungold’ requires Apricot
‘Moongold’ as its mating pair, resulting in an abundant crop of lovely,
delicious stone fruits.)
The mommies and
babies for today’s blog post are not actually fruits, but are more
like clones of the mother plant.
Some plants, like German Ivy shown here, are prolific at generating new
leaves. Taking cuttings from the parent plant and rooting those cuttings in
water for a few weeks will produce a new
baby plant—a smaller version of its mother.
(The mother plant shown here was initially the same size as the small
plant shown on my photo; the mother plant is a few years old, and I’ve done numerous
cuttings, creating several new baby plants.)
Another mommy
and baby are shown here… my “mother” Amaryllis bulb over the
past few years has provided a few baby bulbs, which develop near the base of
the mother bulb. When the juvenile bulb
has fully developed and separates from the primary bulb, it can be carefully
severed and planted in its own pot. (NOTE: in its first year, abundant foliage
should emerge from bulb— but no blossoms—it is still in its juvenile phase. The
foliage creates sugars, which feed and nurture the baby bulb. By the second
year, it should be capable of producing its first bloom.)
Learning about the reproductive
capabilities of various plant species provides us with a deeper understanding
of our plant world… since gardeners and horticulturists are caregivers for much
of our plant world, it becomes critical to gain knowledge and respect for our
wondrous variety of plants.
M. Lynn Schmid, Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
