Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is not a real cactus but a desert bush that grows true leaves. These leaves are shed during droughts in an effort to conserve moisture. Spring rains cause the ocotillo to leaf out and produce bright red flower bunches on the ends of the branches. You can create living fences in the ocotillo’s natural habitat, the Sonoran desert in southeastern California, by pushing cut thorny branches into the ground. Rooting softwood cuttings during the summer is the propagation method used under cultivated environments.
Choose ocotillo stems that produced growth last growing season, which are considered green softwood. The branches are still bendable, which tells you that the branches are still living. If the cane is stiff, cracks when bent and shows brown inside, then it is a dead stem. Check for insect infestation before singling out your branch.
Cut the top 6 to 8 inches of the branch off with a clean sharp knife. It is possible to take a larger cutting, but it must be supported in an upright position while rooting. Remove the leaves off the bottom 3 to 4 inches of the branch and set the cutting in a shady location until the plant pot is ready.
Fill a heavy plant pot with drainage holes in the bottom with equal parts of commercial cacti soil mixture and perlite. Leave an inch of space between the rim and the top of the soil.
Pour a few inches of rooting hormone in a small container and coat the cut end of the ocotillo branch with the powder. Tap off the excess powder. Rotting hormone will speed up the rooting process for the ocotillo. Stick the branch into soil mixture and firm the soil around the cutting. If the cutting does not stand upright, place large stones around the stem to prop it up until roots have formed.
Soak the plant pot in room temperature water. Drain the pot well and set it on a water-collecting dish. Place the cutting in a warm sunny area. Provide water every two weeks during the summer and early fall. Cut the water supply back to once a month in the winter and start again in the spring. When the ocotillo cutting begins to grow leaves, it indicates that new roots have grown.
Things You Will Need
- Plant pot
- Cacti Soil
- Rooting hormone
- Small container
- Propagating ocotillo plants from cuttings do not produce right away a well-branched plant like those found in their natural habitat. Branching does occur eventually after several years.
- The New Sunset Western Garden Book; Kathleen Norris Brenzel
- Plant Sciences Center of Sierra Vista, Arizona: Ocotillo
- Arid Gardener: Re: Ocotillo Propagation from Cuttings
- Maricopa Center for Learning & Instruction: The “Real” Ocotillo
- AZ Central: Peach Trees, Propagating Ocotillos
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images