Strawberry begonias, Saxifraga stolonifera, are a native plant to East Asia. It is hardy in the U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 6 through 9. They are a ground cover plant that can grow to heights of about 8 inches. The rounded green leaves with silver markings resemble those of a begonia.
Strawberry begonias are like strawberries because they both produce runners. This may be one of the reasons that strawberry begonias got their nickname, Mother of Thousands. These runners can trail to 12 to 24 inches in length. In nature, the plantlets will often find a way of attaching themselves to the bare soil, where they will send out roots and grow. If you want to propagate the strawberry begonia in this way, it will require just a bit of help from you.
If you or a friend has a strawberry begonia plant and you want to propagate it, you can do so easily. Even if you’ve never propagated a strawberry begonia plant before, you’ll have no trouble with this one.
Prepare the Pots
Find one or several 2 to 4- inch pots with drainage holes at the bottom. Cover the drainage holes in the 4-inch pots with small pebbles, or a coffee filter. This keeps the soil in the pot each time you water. Drainage holes in the smaller pots aren’t big enough to lose much soil..
Fill the pots with potting soil. You can use the premade potting soil sold at most home garden centers or make your own. A simple recipe that most gardeners use for starting houseplants is a combination of compost, peatmoss, and perlite in equal amounts.
Watering
Fill a tub or other container with 1.75 to 3-inches of tepid water. When you place the pots in the tub, the water should not rise beyond the pot’s top rim. Allow the planting medium to soak until the top of the soil is visibly moist. This lets you know that the soil is completely moistened. Remove the pots and place them on a drainage rack, so the excess water drains away.
Choose the Plantlet
Find a healthy plantlet. The small plantlet will be coming out of the parent plant and it is connected with a long thin stem. These are readily seen when the plant is growing in a hanging basket, because the babies will hang down below the mother plant. It will remind you of the spider plant. If possible, find one that has roots already forming at the bottom. This will give you a head start on rooting.
Propagating
Place the filled pot close to the mother plant and where the baby plantlet can reach easily. You’ll want it close enough, so the runner or stolen can sit on top of the soil without straining the stem.
Place the runner on top of the soil with the root section resting firmly against the soil. If the baby plant refuses to stay against the soil, you can hold it in place with a U-shaped wire. You can also use a Bobbie pin or a paper clip. Just remember to open the bobby pin or paper clip, so you don’t damage the stem. Insert the wire, so the connecting stem is just in time, close to the plantlet to keep the bottom of the plant against the soil.
Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy until the roots of the plantlet are growing into the soil. At that time, you can remove the U-shaped wire and the roots will hold the plant in place. It can take three to four weeks for the roots to form. Sever the stem from the parent when the stem has rooted and new growth is seen.
Care for your new plant as you do the parent.
