Asexual or Vegetative Propagation
Asexual propagation or vegetative propagation occurs when a vegetative part of a parent plant such as part of a root, part of a stem, or a leaf is used to regenerate a new plant. Unlike sexual or seed propagation, asexual or vegetative propagation results in a new plant that is genetically identical to its parent. This is the best way to maintain certain species. Cloning creates groups of plants that are identical to their parent plant and can only be accomplished with asexual propagation.
There are several advantages to asexual propagation. It can be the only way to perpetuate certain characteristics unique to certain cultivars. Plants propagated using asexual propagation bypass the juvenile stage which increases their chance of survival. And such methods are often the fastest and easiest ways to propagate a species of plant.
Three major methods of asexual propagation in plants exist. They include cuttings, layering, budding and grafting.
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