Plants for Cutting Materials
The plants that can grow from cuttings are pretty miraculous.
It sounds like magic, we know, but these plants are truly enchanting. Research shows that some plants can grow this way easier than others, but you may be surprised at the biodiversity one can install utilizing only cuttings.
This article highlights plants that can grow from cuttings. It is part of our Species Selection Guide where we share select collections of plants based on their ecosystem services, site condition needs, or material type.
What are 'Cutting Materials'?
There are special plants that will create an entirely new tree or shrub just from a small section of a mature individual.
Live stakes are a common type of cutting material, along with fascines and brush mattress. Cuttings are also a popular nursery propagation technique. You can read more about live stakes and fascines on the linked webpages, or in our Education menu at the top of the site.
Which Plants Grow from Cuttings?
There are a select plants native to the Pacific Northwest that can grow from cuttings. Most of these plants prefer moist soils, though some are more flexible than others. Under the right conditions, cuttings are a terrific way to revegetate wet areas with minimal expense and labor.
Soil moisture, salinity, and light availability should dictate species selection. All the named species prefer full/part sun. If your site is part shade, consider snowberry, salmonberry, or red osier dogwood. These tend to be more flexible with their sun-needs.
We hope this list helps you decide which species are best for the specific conditions of your project.
We have found that some species give you better results than others. Sound Native Plants has worked with cutting materials for over 30 years. In this wealth of trial and error have learned what works. There have also been a number of published studies that observe the effectiveness of plants utilized for live stake, brush mattress, and fascine installations. We've linked a handful of these studies at the bottom of this page.
We have divided this plant list into Researched Species and Experimental Species. We have seen success with all the plants named on this page, but more so with the research-backed species. Our Pacific Northwest native willows and black cottonwood generally are the most prosperous.
We always advise selecting a handful of species to increase the biodiversity of your project and its likelihood of success.
Unless otherwise stated, all plant information comes from our Species Descriptions, where we invite you to read about more plants native to our Pacific Northwest.
Cutting Materials Plant Lists
Researched Species
Cornus sericea
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Saturated to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Low
Transplanting success: High for container-grown, low or medium for live stakes
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous large shrub or small tree, 5-20 feet depending on site conditions; fibrous, shallow root system, spreads by layering and suckers
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum. Highly variable success rate, put in the shade for highest success, mix with willows for diversity
You can deep dive into red-twig dogwood in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Populus trichocarpa
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Saturated to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: None
Transplanting success: High (both container-grown & live stakes)
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous tree to 160 feet; roots are fibrous and branching, shallow or deep, and extensive
Comments: Good rooter, may grow several feet a year in flood plains
Salix geyeriana
Exposure: Full to part sun
Soil moisture: Saturated to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: Unknown
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Multi-stemmed deciduous shrub to 15 feet
Comments: Good rooter, prefers year-round saturated soil, inundated banks and muddy shores.
Information sourced from OregonFlora and the USDA Plant Characteristics database in addition to our Species Selection Guide.
Salix hookeriana
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Saturated to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High (both container-grown & live stakes)
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous tree or shrub to 20 feet; fibrous, moderately deep root system
Comments: Occurs mainly within 5 miles of salt water, good rooter, long stakes can be more wiggly than other species
Salix lasiandra
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Saturated to moist
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High (both container-grown & live stakes)
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Multi-stemmed deciduous tree to 60 feet; fibrous, moderately deep and widespread root system
Comments: Good rooter, common in wetlands and riparian zones, somewhat brittle and thus more difficult to pound
Salix scouleriana
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moderately dry to moist
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High (both container-grown & live stakes)
Growth rate: Moderate to rapid
Form: Deciduous tree or shrub to 40 feet; fibrous, moderately deep and widespread roots
Comments: Drier sites and marine shores, roots slowly, often lower success rate than other willows, a shrub-tree that can grow <60' tall
Salix sitchensis
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Saturated to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High (both container-grown & live stakes)
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub to 25 feet; fibrous, moderately deep and widespread roots
Comments: Good rooter, common on streams
Symphoricarpos albus
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Very moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Medium
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub to 2-6 feet; fibrous, shallow root system, spreads vigorously by suckers
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum. Excellent for drier slopes and where low height is needed
Experimental Species
Lonicera involucrata
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Saturated to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub to 10 feet; branching, fibrous, shallow roots
Comments: Super plant for hummingbirds and other pollinators. Stems can be thin and brittle, install gently!
Philadelphus lewisii
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moderately moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Low
Transplanting success: Medium to high
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub to 10 feet; moderately deep, branching roots
Comments: Great for urban screening and rural restoration sites alike!
You can deep dive into mock orange in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Physocarpus capitatus
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: None
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub to 12 feet; fibrous, shallow root system, spreads by suckers
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum. Great for urban screening or green stormwater infrastructure and rural restoration sites alike!
Ribes sanguineum
Exposure: Sun to part shade
Soil moisture: Dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Deciduous shrub to 10 feet; branching root system
Comments: Plant only in well drained soils; don't over water
Comments: Stems are thin-sih and pithy making live stakes difficult to install. Be gentle!
Rosa nutkana
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist, dry okay if shaded
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub to 10 feet; branched, fibrous, shallow roots, spreads vigorously by suckers
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum. Stems are thin-ish and spiky, making live stakes difficult to install. Be gentle!
Rubus spectabilis
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: Medium to high
Growth rate: Moderate to rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub to 12 feet; fibrous shallow roots, spreads by suckers
Comments: Stems are thin, pithy, and spiky, making live stakes difficult to install. Be gentle!
You can deep dive into salmonberry in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Spiraea douglasii
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: Unknown
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Rhizomatous, deciduous shrub to 7 feet; spreads vigorously by runners
Comments: Be cautious where one plants spirea as this plant spreads vigorously and can outcompete other plants.
Information sourced from OregonFlora and the USDA Plant Characteristics database.
Studies Comparing Plant Species Success
US Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Plant Materials no. 24: Producing PNW Native Trees and Shrubs in Hardwood Cutting Blocks or Stooling Beds. Wayne Crowder, Assistant PMC Manager, Pullman, WA & Dale Darris, Conservation Agronomist, Corvallis, OR www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/orpmctn241199.pdf
US Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Plant Materials no. 31: Native Shrubs As a Supplement to the Use of Willows as Live Stakes and Fascines in Western Oregon and Western Washington. Dale C. Darris, Conservation Agronomist Corvallis Plant Materials Center www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/orpmctn3857.pdf
US Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Plant Materials no. 38: Suggestions for Installing Hardwood Cuttings (Slips, Whips, Live Stakes, Poles, Posts) and Live Fascines (Pacific Northwest Region, West of Cascades) Dale C. Darris Conservation Agronomist, Corvallis Plant Materials Center www.agsci.oregonstate.edu/sites/agscid7/files/ippc/hardwood_cuttings_how_to_and_what_tech_note_38.pdf