Vegetative propagation is the natural production of new plants from structures of the parent plant, without seeds. The new plants are clones. Common structures include:• Runners (stolons): horizontal stems that grow along the surface of the ground. Where a node touches the soil, roots and a new plant form. Example: strawberry.
• Rhizomes: horizontal underground stems that spread and produce new shoots. Examples: marram grass, bamboo and couch grass.
• Bulbs: short underground stems surrounded by fleshy leaf bases that store food. New bulbs develop from lateral buds. Examples: onion and daffodil.
• Corms: swollen underground stem bases that store food. Example: crocus.
• Stem tubers: swollen tips of underground stems storing starch; each ‘eye’ is a bud that can grow into a new plant. Example: potato.
• Suckers: new shoots growing from the roots of a tree. Example: English elm.
The English elm shows the risk of cloning. Elms in England spread mainly by suckers, so many trees were genetically identical. When Dutch elm disease arrived, spread by bark beetles carrying a fungus, most of the trees were equally susceptible and millions died. Suckers can regrow from the living roots, but the new trees become infected when they are large enough to attract the beetles.In storage organs such as tubers, bulbs and corms, the food store helps the plant survive winter and grow quickly in spring. Rhizomes and runners help plants spread across an area. Marram grass rhizomes also stabilise sand dunes.
• Rhizomes: horizontal underground stems that spread and produce new shoots. Examples: marram grass, bamboo and couch grass.
• Bulbs: short underground stems surrounded by fleshy leaf bases that store food. New bulbs develop from lateral buds. Examples: onion and daffodil.
• Corms: swollen underground stem bases that store food. Example: crocus.
• Stem tubers: swollen tips of underground stems storing starch; each ‘eye’ is a bud that can grow into a new plant. Example: potato.
• Suckers: new shoots growing from the roots of a tree. Example: English elm.
The English elm shows the risk of cloning. Elms in England spread mainly by suckers, so many trees were genetically identical. When Dutch elm disease arrived, spread by bark beetles carrying a fungus, most of the trees were equally susceptible and millions died. Suckers can regrow from the living roots, but the new trees become infected when they are large enough to attract the beetles.In storage organs such as tubers, bulbs and corms, the food store helps the plant survive winter and grow quickly in spring. Rhizomes and runners help plants spread across an area. Marram grass rhizomes also stabilise sand dunes.