String Of Hearts Butterfly Method
The string of hearts butterfly method involves making a lot of one-leaf one-node cuttings from long stems and then rooting them on moss, so you get a lot of rooted propagations and a thick plant and bushy plant.
See also: our String Of Hearts article for a full guide to caring for this plant, our other string of hearts propagation guide: How To Propagate String Of Hearts.
String Of Hearts Butterfly Method
Time needed: 30 minutes
A step by step guide to propagation string of hearts using the butterfly method.
- Cut a ‘string’ (or branch) off your plant.
Find a healthy stem as it will propagate better, you can include leggy stems too, cutting them back will make the plant bushier.
- Cut the stems between each leaf
Using clean scissors cut the stems off between each leaf
- Chop each section into a ‘butterfly’
Trim the stems right back so you only have small cuttings with the leaf and node. The nodes are really close to the leaves and sometimes behind them.
- Get a tub and fill it with moist sphagnum moss.
You need a lid for later to keep the humidity in.
- Put the cuttings on the moss
Scatter the cuttings on the moss, then press them down gently so that the nodes are in the moss. You want as much of the moist moss to touch the nodes as possible to encourage rooting.
- Cover the pot and put holes in it
I stab the lid and sides of the pot with scissors to allow some air to pass through, which reduces the chances of rot.
You can find all our articles on sphagnum moss propagation here, like the Philodendron Burle Marx Propagation In Moss article.
String of Hearts propagation – frequently asked questions
You can make string of hearts fuller by cutting off the leggier stems and propagating them, then planting them back in with the main plant, so you have fuller stems (as you’ve cut back the leggier ones) and many more stems from propagation. For more see our full care guide here: String Of Hearts Care.
You can propagate string of hearts with a leaf as long as it has node attached to it. They are very close together, so there is a good chance you have the node. If you do not have a node and it is just a leaf that has fallen off the stem they will not propagate to a full plant.
String of hearts plants can grow tubers which a white balls that grow near the nodes. You can replant these into new plants if you like.
