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Propagating Rosemary Cuttings

How to propagate rosemary from stem cuttings

Rosemary is one of my favorite perennial herbs to have around the garden. The plants are prolific and look beautiful all year. Learn how to take cuttings from existing rosemary plants to turn into new ones through the power of propagation!

YouTube video

-OVERVIEW-

  • Take a cutting from the tender tip of a stem; avoid the thicker, woody parts.
  • Strip leaves from the bottom 2-3 inches to expose growth points.
  • Plant in well-draining soil; keep moist and put in a warm, bright area.
  • Roots should develop in 1-2 months.
rosemary and aster

Supplies you’ll need

  • Rosemary cuttings
  • Scissors or shears
  • Well-draining potting soil
  • Small pot with drainage holes
  • Optional: Rooting hormone

Step 1: Take a cutting

The first step is to take a cutting from the tip of a rosemary stem. At the stems get closer to the base of the plant, they get thicker and woodier. These woody areas are much less likely to root than the newer, more tender growth near the tips. For the cutting below, the bottom was still quite woody. So I cut the bottom 4 or so inches off.

hand holding a rosemary cutting

Step 2: Remove bottom leaves

Use your fingers to remove the leaves from the bottom 2-3 inches of the cutting to expose the growth points. You can dip the cutting in rooting hormone, or you can plant without it. I used rooting hormone on only some of my cuttings, and there didn’t seem to be a clear correlation between rooting hormone application and successful rooting.

hand holding a rosemary cutting
hand holding a rosemary cutting

Step 3: Plant in soil

Next you’ll plant the cutting in well-draining soil. Since no propagation is ever a 100% success, I planted several cuttings in one pot. Keep the soil moist, and put the pot in a warm, bright place.

rosemary cuttings in soil

Step 4: Inspect & pot up

After about a month, I gently removed the cuttings and the soil from the pot to examine root development. Some cuttings had sprouted the beginnings of roots. I potted those up individually to ensure they had plenty of room for root growth.

Continue keeping the cuttings in a warm, bright spot, and keep the soil moist. After another month or so, I took the cuttings I’d potted up out of their pots to inspect the roots. You’ll see the major my cuttings had in the photos below! I’ll keep these in their pots for a bit longer before I plant outside.

rosemary propagation roots

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collage or plants that says all about propagating rosemary

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