How to propagate Burro's Tail and get more of this plant for free

Learning how to propagate Burro's Tail from either a leaf or stem is easy – follow these steps and you'll have a host of beautiful baby Burro's Tails. 

However, before starting to propagate you must know how to care for a Burro's Tail – this will help ensure the greatest chances of success.

'Whether you take a stem cutting or just an individual leaf, propagating these plants is very easy. It will take a long time to be a full plant but it’s fantastic to watch them grow,' says Lisa Price, founder of Root Houseplants. 

What you'll need

• A mature Burro's Tail
• Scissors or pruning snips, such as these Micro-Tip Pruning Snips from Amazon
• Kitchen roll
• Small pot with drainage holes – or one large pot with drainage holes
• Succulent compost, such as Westland Cactus/Succulent Potting mix on Amazon

Can I propagate Burro's Tail from a stem cutting?

One of the joys of houseplant care is creating new plants from existing ones. Succulents are known for being simple to propagate and Burro's Tail is no different.

Propagating a Burro's Tail from a stem is very easy. Start by taking your cutting. Snip a healthy stem that's at least a few inches long. Remove the lower leaves to expose the stem and place it on a piece of kitchen roll to dry out.

‘After this, you can propagate Burro's Tail by either place the stem in nice clean water – repotting into soil when roots appear – or poke it straight into well-draining soil,’ explains Lindsay Skene, owner of Linden Plants. ‘If growing straight into the soil you could do this in a new pot or the original plant’s pot for a bigger and fuller plant.’ 

Knowing how to propagate Burro's Tail is beneficial if you are planning to order your plant from one of the best online stockists. Due to Burro's Tail's delicate nature, they often break during shipping if purchased online. This isn’t a huge problem, as the broken branches can be propagated, and the plant will spring back within a couple of weeks.

Can I grow Burro's Tail from a single leaf?

Yes, you can propagate Burro's Tail from a single leaf. This is ideal if you accidentally brush past the plant and a few leaves drop. 

It is surprisingly easy to propagate Burro's Tail from a leaf and is very similar to when you propagate aloe vera.  ‘Simply place the leaf on some kitchen roll and allow to dry out for a few days and callous over,' explains Lindsay Skene. 'Once dry, place the leaf on top of the soil and leave in a nice bright spot. After a few weeks, you should start to see roots developing.'

Once the roots are well established, transplant them into their own individual pots or place them in the original pot for a fuller-looking Burro's Tail.