Euryops, also known as African bush daisy, is a perennial plant native to South Africa prized for its bright yellow flowers resembling daisies. Extremely floriferous, it flowers from spring through summer. Easy to grow but a little tender, it favours seaside situations or mild climate. It can reach up to 1 metre in height and width, forming a dense, floriferous shrub both in ground and in a pot on a sheltered terrace or balcony. Propagation by cuttings is a simple and effective method to multiply your Euryops and obtain new plants identical to parent plant. In this tutorial, we explain when and how to take Euryops cuttings and expand your collection of African bush daisies.
When to take cuttings of Euryops?
Multiplication of Euryops is done by propagation by stem cuttings after flowering, that is by taking semi-woody stems around September and rooting the cuttings under cover. During this period, stems are mature enough to ensure optimal take of cuttings. Herbaceous cuttings are also quite possible in spring using well-green, still tender and vigorous stems.
Equipment required
For successful cuttings of African bush daisies, you will need:
- one or more pots or bucket(s)
- a pencil
- a pruning shear cleaned with alcohol before use to avoid spread of disease
- a cloche, a plastic bottle, a plastic bag or a mini-greenhouse to cover the cuttings
- seed and repotting compost and garden sand
- facultative: a root activator
- a sprayer
How to take Euryops cuttings?
- Fill pots with a mix of seed and repotting compost and garden sand in equal parts. This growing medium must be light and well drained to favour rooting.
- Choose healthy, non-flowering, vigorous stems. Using a clean, sharp pruning shear, cut below a node the stem tips about 10–15 cm long.
- Remove all leaves from lower part of the stem. Halve upper leaves to reduce evaporation.
- To encourage root formation, optionally dip base of stems in root activator
- Make a hole in the growing medium with a pencil. Gently insert the cutting into the hole taking care that remaining leaves do not touch the medium.
- Firm lightly around base of cutting. If planting several cuttings in same pot, space them about 5 cm apart.
- To support rooting, it is important to maintain high humidity around cuttings. For this reason, cover the pot with a transparent plastic bag or any propagation dome (cloche, mini-greenhouse, plastic bottle). Ensure plastic does not touch leaves to avoid mould formation.
- Place cuttings under cover in a bright spot, sheltered from direct sun. Keep substrate slightly moist by regularly misting with a sprayer.
- Ventilate for half an hour every 3–4 days to renew air. After about 3–4 weeks, cuttings should be sufficiently rooted to be separated and potted individually in buckets.
- Pot on when they reach 12 cm and place in a bright, unheated room or in a cold greenhouse for first winter.
- The following spring, you can plant your young plants directly in ground. They will appreciate a light, very well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade.
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