How to propagate a shingle plant

Love your shingle plant? I love how easy they are to propagate! Here’s how to turn your shingle plant into lots of shingle plants to keep or to share!

This season, every time I go to Lowes or Home Depot, I have seen shingle plants.

They are inside the greenhouse and they are very noticeable because they come with a vertical wood board.

These were selected as a Trending Tropical plant by Costa Farms, the company that supplies a lot of indoor house plants to Lowes, Home Depot, and even Walmart garden centers. They were $19.99 (including the white plastic pot).

So, while they may have been rare in the past, they are very easy to find this summer!

Anyways, after walking past them a dozen times I decided to bring one home.

What is a shingle plant?

Shingle plant is the common name for Rhaphidophora Hayi.

These are climbing plants with aerial roots. That means, they like to have something to climb up (like a moss pole!)

However, shingle plant’s heart shaped leaves actually like to grow up something flat, like a board. The leaves lie flat and look like – you guessed it – shingles!

These plants actually grow roots into the wood boards and get nutrients from the wood. Pretty cool!

What conditions do shingle plants like?

My shingle plant is doing great in bright indirect light – just adjacent to a sunny window.

I water it just a small splash twice a week and spritz it with a mister daily.

Definitely be sure to have drainage holes or a pebble tray under your potting mix – too much water can lead to root rot!

How to propagate a Rhaphidophora Hayi shingle plant

Shingle plants are extremely easy to propagate in moist soil! Here’s how!

Tools needed:

Sharp, clean scissors
Rooting hormone
Small pot of soil
Plastic bag
Mister or any container of water

Steps to propagate a shingle plant:

STEP 1: Identify the node

The node is the bump in the stem where leaves grow. This is also where roots will grow!

STEP 2: Cut just below the node

Use scissors to snip just below a node. This is your stem cutting. This will put roots at the bottom of your cutting!

STEP 3: Dip in rooting hormone

Dip the cut end of your cutting into rooting hormone, at least up to the next node.

STEP 4: Place on top of pot of soil

Gently set the cutting on top of soil – no need to bury any of it.

STEP 5: Mist heavily or water

Water or spray heavily with a mister to get it nice and moist.

STEP 6: Cover with plastic bag

I used a sandwich sized ziplock bag and put it over my pot to create a steamy greenhouse effect. Tuck the bottom under the pot to seal it off so it will get nice and steamy.

STEP 7: Place in indirect sunlight

Place the whole covered “greenhouse” in an indirect sunny spot. You should see drops of moisture accumulate on the inside of the bag. Don’t open it up to check on it for 2 weeks!

How long does it take a shingle plant to grow roots?

My cutting had roots in two weeks. I let it root for a month before moving it to its permanent home.

Is Rhaphidophora Hayi rare?

I think that in the past these shingle plants have been rare, but they are a Costa Farms Trending Tropical plant this year. I have found tons of them frequently at both Home Depot and Lowes.

Will my shingle plant grow back after I cut it?

Yes! The vine will grow a new branch just next to where you cut the old one off. You can see in the photo below the spot where I cut mine and where it grew a new branch.