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There seems to be a lot of information out there about propagating various Bursera species from stem cuttings or (more rarely) seed, but I thought I’d share my surprising experience with growing B. fagaroides from root cuttings (I say “surprising” because usually I am death to cuttings!). After trimming off some tangled roots from one of my small and incredibly pot-bound fagaroides I felt guilty about throwing away such nice chunky roots (which resemble little strings of sausages) so I thought I’d see if it was possible to maybe get another plant out of them. I took the largest swollen root section (about 2” long), let it dry for a few days, then planted it in a shallow pot with some cactus potting mix and watered it sparingly but mostly didn’t expect anything except a pile of mush at the end of it. Much to my great surprise after about 5-6 weeks four little green stems appeared, and are continuing to grow well. Don’t know if I should only retain the largest sprout or keep it multi-stemmed (could be interesting, or just plain ugly), I think I’ll let the plant decide. The cuttings were taken just as the plant was breaking from winter dormancy (maybe that helped) and daytime temps were in the low-mid 20’s C.
Worth a try (for fagaroides and probably other Bursera species too) – don’t bin those roots just yet!
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B. fagaroides root cutting with soil removed.jpg (90.04 KiB) Viewed 4866 times
Good luck with the root propagation, and thanks for sharing all this useful information. Who would have thought?
I'm growing Bursera fagaroides for the last seven years. It's a great plant.... and the original twiggy trunk, has fattened up over the years, and is now as thick as my arm. The full-sun and broiling heat, on my south-facing, back deck...this plant loves. Occasional watering if the rains stop, and slow-release fert's. do the trick. Can't say if I have ever seen any pests on my Bursera, either. Easy plant. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Now..... I have one more trick in my arsenal, thanks to this thread.