Chiastophyllum(ky-AS-to-fy-lum)-Cotyledon

Chiastophyllum or Cotyledon is a cousin to Sedum, succulent, so propagating is easy because it sends out underground rhizomes which produce new plant clumps so dig those up either in the spring or fall and transplant. The foliage is either green or variegated(cream) and its yellow flowers will bloom from May until July but it prefers partial shade and a well draining moist soil and grows up to a height of 10". If you plant in a container make certain that you do not over water. It is evergreen in warmer zones, not below Zone 5. Deer may munch.

Ballota-Horehound, False Divinity

Propagating Ballota or False Divinty is done in the spring by digging up the clump and separating the roots and crown, after cutting back the leggy growth in warmer zones where it is evergreen. Its flowers are insignificant, but can be white, pink or purple and blooms in late spring to summer and its leaves are hairy. It will reach a height of 12"-24" , is drought tolerant, and prefers full sun. It may possibly be deer resistant. Its habit reminds me of a weed, but each to their own since its common name seems sophisticated. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Deschampsia cespitosa-Hair Grass

Propagating Deschampsia or Hair Grass can be done either in the spring or fall by digging up the clump and dividing then transplanting. The plant prefers a moist soil in full sun and in warmer zones it is a perennial. The birds enjoy the seeds in winter and the plant should be cut down to the ground in the spring. It is a cool season perennial meaning it puts its growth on before temperatures reach 75 degrees. Different varieties have different colored leaves and the flowers are basically inconspicuous, mostly yellow/brown, and it flowers in May through June. In warmer climates it has great winter interest. Its fine thread like leaves offer a good contrast to bold leaved perennials, is deer resistant, and reaches a height of 2'-3'.

Dryopteris celsa-Log Fern

Propagating Dryopteris or Log Fern can be done either in the spring or fall by digging up the plant and dividing the crown. Log ferns prefer moist soil with a low pH in shade or sun, depending on the moisture, and can grow upwards of 4'. In warmer zones it can be semi-evergreen and is deer resistant, is not invasive and if left alone will propagate on its own.

Lewisia-Lewisia

Propagating Lewisia is done by digging up the fleshy tap root in either spring or fall and dividing and re-planting it in a 50% sharp sandy soil that is well draining. Its leaves remind one of hens and chicks but it blooms are profuse and colors vary depending upon the variety and range from red, pink, white, apricot, yellow and orange. Blooms will last from late spring well into the summer in cool zones in full sun, but prefer partial shade in warmer zones. It prefers a moist soil, slightly acidic, in the spring but will withstand drought conditions in summer. Great for filling in holes in stone walls. Most varieties are small in height, from 3" and up and is evergreen in warmer climates and deer tend to avoid the plant.

Selaginella erythropus-Spikemoss

Propagating Selaginella or Spikemoss is easy because the plant will do it for you since the tips of the stems will brush the soil and will root generally if the soil is in optimum condition. It needs to be taken in doors from Zone 6 on downward in the winter otherwise it is an evergreen that prefers a rich moist/wet soil in shade conditions. It doesn’t bloom but the underneath of the leaves are red, for the particular variety “Ruby Red” and grows upwards of 6" and is not foot tolerant.

Saponaria-Rock Soapwort, Cowherb, Bouncing Bet

Propagating Saponaria or Rock Soapwort can be accomplished either in the spring or fall by digging up the parent plant and dividing the roots and water well after transplanting. It prefers full sun but will take partial shade and it is a fast growing evergreen groundcover that blooms when most other perennials are done, from May-September, varieties are either pink or white, but will not tolerate humidity but will grow at elevations of 7,000 feet, and will tolerate drought conditions. The name Saponaria comes from the word SOAP, saponius, and it roots, not cooked, are used as a detergent or shampoo, but cannot be stored, and in previous days in Australia they used it to clean the sheep’s wool before shearing. It is a great groundcover that I will use in the future and reaches a height of 6" and its blooms will attract both butterflies and hummingbirds but not deer.

Annuals Become Perennials-How life is evolving with genetics. By Sharon Begley

As I watch this year’s impatiens, vinca and petunias shrivel up and die, this is what I am not thinking: “oh goodie, I get to plant another crop of annuals next spring!” No, I am thinking, “if a stupid tulip can be a perennial, why can’t these come back every year, too, with minimal intervention on my part?”
I am therefore looking forward to plant breeders taking a discovery published online this afternoon in Nature Genetics and later in a print version of the journal and putting it to widespread use. The discovery is that by turning off a mere two genes (out of some 25,000) in the little flowering annual called thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), scientists managed to turn it into a perennial.
Annuals, of course, germinate, grow, blossom and die within one growing season. Perennials overwinter and grow again the following year, thanks to buds, bulbs or tubers that contain groups of non-specialized cells (called meristems) that can differentiate into new organs such as stalks and leaves. Annuals lack these overwintering meristems. Instead, they consume all the meristems during the growing season to produce flowers: once the flower appears, the end is nigh for an annual.
Arabidopsis thaliana has become a favorite of geneticists. The complete sequence of its genome was finished in December 2000, so scientists led by Siegbert Melzer and Tom Beeckman of the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology in Ghent, Belgium, exploited that knowledge to the full. They identified two flower-inducing genes (with the less-than-melodious names SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 and FRUITFULL; I am not yelling at you, but names of genes are, by convention, capitalized). Both genes also affect whether the meristems differentiate. Using standard techniques, the scientists turned off the two genes and watched what happened.
The mutant Arabidopsis plants couldn’t flower, which is what you’d expect when their flower-making genes are knocked out of commission. But the more tantalizing finding is that the mutants do not use up their supply of non-specialized cells—the meristem. As a consequence, they are able to grow like perennials. The resulting plants were woodier and more shrub-like than regular Arabidopsis. (A natural mutation such as this may well account for the evolution of herbaceous, i.e. non-woody, annuals to woody perennials, namely shrubs and trees.) As the scientists write, disabling the two genes produced plants with “recurrent growth cycles, longevity and extensive woodiness, . . . reminiscent of plants with a perennial life style.”
I call first dibs when the geniuses at Spring Hill, Burpee or other plant nursery or breeder put this discovery to use by giving us perennial pansies, petunias, marigolds, zinnias and all the rest. Then when I see the autumnal decline of my garden, I’ll console myself with the knowledge that they’ll all be back in the spring with little to no help from me.

House plant propagating

I thought I’d give a link for propagating basic house plants since many seem to be as simple as propagating perennials except for air layering which finding info on the ‘net shouldn’t be a problem. http://www.healthrecipes.com/plant_cuttings.htm

Santolina-Lavender Cotton

Propagating Santolina or Lavender Cotton can be done in the fall by digging up the rhizomes that spread out from the parent plant or by layering, as long as the soil has ample moisture. Santolina is a herb that is a scented evergreen in warmer zones, but is not tolerant of humidity. To Zone 5. It will thrive either in full sun to partial shade and is tolerant of dry sandy soils and is deer resistant. It will bloom from May-September, reaches a height of 12"-18", and has yellow blooms that butterflies are attracted to.

Rumex sanguineus-Bloody Sorrel

Propagating Rumex or Bloody Sorrel, which in some places is considered a weed, it can be an aggressive self-seeder, can be done in the spring by digging up the rooted rhizomes that spread out from the parent clump. Its seeds can remain viable in the soil for years so be careful where you plant it. This variety has reddish-green leaves that are veined red and purple and the seed heads are reddish-purple as well and remain a long time, so remove if you want it contained. It’s tap roots go deep into the soil, if you ever tried removing dock from your lawn, a cousin, you’d know, and prefers a fun sun exposure in a moist well draining soil, it has no bloom, is evergreen in warmer zones and sometimes its leaves are cooked as herbs, a lemony flavor, is not deer resistant, and grows to a height of 15".

Sesleria caerulea-Moor Grass

Propagating Sesleria caerulea or Moor Grass can be done either in the spring or fall by digging up the parent plant and dividing the clump. It is an evergreen groundcover because only reaches a height of 6"-8", will grow either under drought conditions or near water, is deer resistant, will prevail either in full sun or partial shade in any type of well draining soil. It blooms from March-May and one variety has blue flowers so it could be a great contrast to daffodils.