Plant Cutting Types Made Simple
Cheat Sheet for Understanding Plants Cuttings
You may have come across terms like terminal cutting, basal cutting, softwood cutting, hardwood cutting, nodal cutting, or heel cutting. These are often presented as separate methods, as if each one represents a different approach to propagation.
In practice, they are not separate methods. They are different ways of describing the same structure.
Each term describes one aspect of a cutting:
• where it is taken from on the plant
• how mature the tissue is
• what part of the plant is used
• how the piece is structured
Because these are mixed in naming, it appears more complex than it is.
Core cutting types (by plant part)
All cuttings begin with what part of the plant you are using.
Stem cuttings
The most common type. A section of stem produces roots and continues growth.
Subtypes by maturity:
• softwood
• semi-hardwood
• hardwood
• herbaceous
Leaf cuttings
A whole leaf or section of a leaf produces a new plant. These must generate both roots and shoots.
Subtypes:
• whole leaf
• leaf section
• leaf vein or margin
Leaf-bud cuttings
A leaf, a bud, and a small section of stem. This produces a single new shoot.
Root cuttings
A section of root produces new shoots. Used in plants that naturally regenerate from root tissue.
Structural stem cutting types (how the cutting is taken)
These describe how the material is removed and prepared:
• terminal (tip) cutting → from the growing tip
• basal cutting → from the base or near the main stem
• heel cutting → includes a piece of older wood
• cane or section cutting → mid-stem segments
• nodal cutting → cut at a node
• internodal cutting → between nodes
• single-node cutting → minimal material
These are not separate methods. They are structural variations.
How cuttings are usually described
Cuttings are often grouped by different characteristics:
By tissue maturity
• softwood
• semi-hardwood
• hardwood
By plant part
• stem
• leaf
• root
By position on the plant
• terminal (tip)
• lateral or mid-stem
• basal
By structure
• whole section
• node-based
• cane segment
• heel
What the system actually reduces to
All cutting types are combinations of four variables:
1. Plant part
What you are propagating from:
• stem
• leaf
• root
This determines what the cutting can produce or regenerate.
2. Tissue maturity
How developed the material is:
• soft (herbaceous or softwood)
• semi-hardwood
• hardwood
This affects rooting speed, water loss, and survival.
3. Position on the plant
Where the material comes from:
• terminal (tip)
• lateral or mid-stem
• basal
This influences energy, hormone balance, and growth behavior.
4. Structure of the cutting
How the material is taken:
• node-based
• multi-node section
• heel
• leaf-bud
This determines how many growth points exist and how the cutting organizes itself.
Example (how names break down)
A “terminal softwood cutting” is not a separate method.
It is a combination of:
• stem (plant part)
• soft tissue (maturity)
• tip of the plant (position)
• node-based structure
The name is just shorthand.
Why not every plant “has” every cutting type
Not every plant:
• produces woody tissue
• forms usable stems in all positions
• regenerates from leaves or roots
• contains viable nodes in every section
The list of cutting “types” is not a menu.
It is a set of possibilities based on what the plant can do.
What actually determines success
Propagation outcomes change when one of these variables shifts:
• different tissue maturity changes rooting speed and risk
• different positions change growth behavior
• different structures change viability
• different plant parts change what can regenerate
If a cutting fails, one of these variables is misaligned.
The shift
Instead of asking:
“Which cutting type should I use?”
The question becomes:
• what part of this plant can regenerate
• how mature is the tissue
• where is the most viable growth
• does this structure contain a node or growth point
The shift is from selecting a label to understanding the system.
Cut & Root Tool Insight
Cutting types are not separate methods.
They are combinations of plant part, tissue maturity, position, and structure.
Success comes from matching those variables to the plant and environment—not from choosing the right name.
