A flowerhead of opening yellow phlomis fruticosa buds

Plants to propagate from semi-ripe cuttings

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To do

Salvia 'Amistad' — Deep purple Salivia 'Amistad' in flower

Culinary sage

Culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) has a punchy flavour that lends itself to dishes of meat, pasta or gnocchi. Take a look at Monty Don's advice on how to propagate herbs, including sage.

Salvia officinalis 'Purpurescens' — Shoots of culinary sage, with purple-tinged newer leaves and green older ones

Phlomis

These eye-catching perennials have beautiful yellow flowers in the summer months. The flowers and stems turn a golden hue in winter and look gorgeous when touched with frost. Shrubby phlomis, Phlomis fruticosa, is suitable for taking cuttings.

Phlomis fruticosa — Yellow buds opening in a phlomis flowerhead

Box

Whether you're using it for hedging or topiary shapes, you'll find plenty of uses for extra box plants. Propagate it by taking semi-ripe cuttings.

Box (Buxus sempervirens) balls — Ball-shaped box plants in a row beside grasses next to paving

Rosemary

A delicious addition to stews, sauces and tagines. Here's our full advice on how to take rosemary stem cuttings – take a look to find out how easy it is to propagate rosemary.

Rosemary shoot tip — Holding a rosemary shoot between fingertips

Penstemons

Penstemon cuttings can be taken at several times of year, including spring, late summer and early autumn. This is especially worth doing if you live further north, where winter losses are more likely. Here's our guide to taking penstemon cuttings.

Penstemon 'Laura' — Deep-pink fringed, white bell-shaped flowers of Penstemon 'Laura'

Lavender

With so many uses, lavender is arguably a garden essential. Propagating lavender from semi-ripe cuttings couldn't be easier. Just a few of the ways you could use your new plants include creating a lavender bath bag or lavender bath oil.

Taking semi-ripe lavender cuttings — Preparing lavender cuttings with a knife on a wooden board

For more plants to propagate in late summer and autumn, check out our features on plants to divide after flowering and plants to propagate by layering.

Aim for mid-autumn
As winter approaches, the stems you need to take cuttings from will be getting firmer and harder. If you leave it too late in autumn, these stems may be too hard to take semi-ripe cuttings. So, aim to have these cuttings done before mid-autumn. 