Hardwood cuttings - plant list

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Which plants grow well from hardwood cuttings?

Almost any shrub can be propagated from hardwood cuttings – those that make good strong straight stems will produce the best shaped plants. Blackcurrants, dogwoods, shrub roses, viburnum and Physocarpus are good examples, but there's little to lose by experimenting with almost anything. Spireas, forsythia, hydrangea cuttings, deutzias and weigela are certainly worth trying, as are a few large shrub and tree varieties: elders, white poplar and willows are the most likely to succeed.

Native hedges such as hawthorn are fantastic for wildlife, and can be grown easily from hardwood cuttings. While you’re at it, why not try taking hardwood cuttings of a few climbers? Honeysuckle roots well and, to decorate fences and walls, ornamental climbers such as vines and jasmine make successful candidates.

Browse our list of the best plants to take hardwood cuttings from, below.

Blackcurrant

Currants, whether red, white or black, produce straight, thick stems that are ideal for this method.

Height x spread: 1.5m x 1.5m

Shrub roses

Shrub roses are slightly easier to propagate from cuttings than climbers or ramblers.

H x S: 1.5m x 1.5m

Physocarpus opulifolius

You can make more of this with softwood cuttings, but hardwood cuttings will root easily given time.

H x S: 2.5m x 2m

Buddleja

Although Buddleja self-seeds, if you want more of a specific variety, you have to increase it vegetatively.

H x S: 3m x 5m

Mock orange

If well-pruned after flowering, philadelphus should make nice strong canes too.

H x S: 2m x 2m

Forsythia

Any strong new growth resulting from early pruning is ideal to make more of this spring-flowering shrub.

H x S: 3m x 3m

Viburnum opulus

Fat flower heads, then autumn colour. Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’ is also good on heavy soils.

H x S: 4 x 4m