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Propagating erigeron aureus 'canary bird'?

wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
in Plants
I have one of these plants in an alpine trough. It's a great little plant and I'd like more of it. My alpine book suggests the seed is sterile and it has to be propagated from tiny green shoots but that's about as much information as it gives. The plant is so tiny that I can't even work out where to cut or how to deal with such small cuttings. Google hasn't proved especially helpful either. Has anyone tried this successfully?

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  • lilysillylilysilly Posts: 511
    Looks like a perfect plant to propagate using basal cuttings. I would scrape away the gravel from around the plant, then look for new shoots from around the edge of the plant. Use a sharp small kitchen knife and cut off the shoot trying to get a little sliver of the plant crown with it. Then pot around the edge of a small pot, clay if you have one, put cutting in gritty compost up to its leaves, firm in well and water. I would look to take about four or five cuttings from your plant. I would then leave the pot on a light windowsill, but not full sun, I mist my cuttings lightly with a fine mist of water once in the morning. You should see new growth within a month. I propagate some lilac and pink fleabane I grow this way, and other plants like some helenium that don't lend themselves to division. I know it's a tiny plant but if you have steady fingers, good eyesight and a sharp blade you should be alright.
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