25 Plants That Grow in Water—No Soil Necessary

Pancake Plant

Also known as the Chinese money plant, pancakes are known for their coin-shaped leaves and are thought to bring luck to the grower. Growing one in water only requires taking a stem cutting and submerging it and changing the water every two weeks. Fertilize your plant once a month to ensure it’s getting the nutrients it needs.

Lucky Bamboo

This plant is almost exclusively sold in a jar of water. Most of the time, the bamboo is held in place by a layer of pebbles to help stabilize the stems. Add enough water to keep the roots covered. It doesn’t need fertilizer, but you can give it very diluted fertilizer monthly.

Pothos

This easy-to-grow houseplant grows happily in water. Pothos produces plenty of auxin, a plant hormone that regulates growth and helps stimulate root growth. Many houseplant parents mix pothos cuttings with other stems they want to propagate to speed up growth.

It’s also a vining plant that produces aerial roots, making it even easier to root out. All these roots need is exposure to water to have a growth spurt. The same holds true for any vining plant, including monstera, English ivy, and hoyas.

Philodendron

Philodendrons have either a vining or upright growth habit. The vining varieties, including heartleaf, Brasil, and micans, can be grown similarly to pothos in water. Cut below a leaf node for the upright varieties such as pink princess, lemon lime, and birkin before placing them in water.

Coleus

This colorful foliage plant roots quickly in water. Take a 6-inch cutting and remove the leaves from the bottom 4 inches before placing it in water. Keep the cutting in a sunny spot and fertilize monthly for best results.

Begonia

All types of begonia grow well in water, but rex and tuberous varieties do exceptionally well. As long as you take a healthy stem cutting with a node, these lovelies will root. It will take several weeks before you see any root development, but don’t worry. As long as the leaf and steam look great, change the water regularly and be patient.

Chinese Evergreen

The Chinese evergreen is a hardy plant that requires little attention, both in soil and out. Cut off a few inches of your Chinese evergreen plant. Ensure the cutting is long enough to have a couple of inches submerged underwater and some leaves above the waterline. Replenish the water as needed.

Baby’s Tears

Baby’s tears is also a trailing variety that produces tiny leaves along its stem. Cut a 6-inch piece and remove any leaves that will be in contact with the water; otherwise, the leaves will rot and turn the water murky. New roots will emerge from where the leaves were removed.

African Violet

African violets are one of the most popular houseplants in the world. To grow them in water, start with young, healthy leaves snipped with around two inches of stem. Put them in a narrow-necked container so the stems sit in the water but the leaves are kept dry. It takes around one month for the new roots to form in the water.

String of Hearts

String of Hearts is technically a succulent but masquerades as a vine. To grow it in water, make sure only the roots are submerged and let the vines cascade over the sides of your container. It needs partial or filtered sunlight, water changed every two weeks, and regular diluted liquid fertilizer.

Impatiens

Usually a staple for shady gardens, impatiens can also thrive in the shallower depths of ponds. At the end of the season, cut a few of your stems and stick them in a vase. The roots will grow, providing little clones for next season.

Fiddle Leaf Fig

The fiddle leaf fig is a type of ficus with leaves that looks like—you guessed it—fiddles. Native to Africa, they love moisture and heat and need to be put in filtered sunlight and turned every couple of days so all the leaves get sun (or else they will lean). Set your leaf in a sturdy jar (the leaves are hearty and heavy) and allow the roots to grow in the water.

Spiderwort

Also called the inch plant, spiderworts have a unique purple color or zebra stripes, depending on the strain. Cut a few leaves from the plant, put them in a water-filled mason jar or vase, and watch the root nubs flourish. Spiderwort grows quickly, so you’ll need to prune it regularly.

Croton

Known for their yellow-speckled leaves, croton is a standout plant that brings allure to any garden. Cut a few leaves from your plant, leaving about 4 inches of stem at the end. Place them in a jar almost filled with water, ensuring the stems are submerged but the leaves are not.

English Ivy

English ivy, known chiefly for its evergreen leaves, is a low-maintenance plant that grows easily hydroponically. Cut 4 to 6 inches of the vine and submerge half in a jar of water, removing any leaves in the water. Let your plant grow in bright, indirect sunlight.

Dieffenbachia

A rapidly growing tropical plant, Dieffenbachia loves moisture. Cut a 3 to 4-inch stem from your current plant, with some leaves and at least one node. Put the stem in non-chlorinated water, ensuring that the leaves are not dipping into the water. Rooting should occur after about two weeks.

Spider Plant

Spider plants, known for their long blades (like a spider’s legs), are popular houseplants because they are easy to care for. They naturally produce babies that look like mini-plants that you can snip and put in water. Don’t let the leaves sit in the water, and change the water every three to five days.

Aluminum Plant

Part of the money tree family, aluminum plants have silvery patterns on their leaves. Snip a stem of the existing plant near a node, then put the stem in water and clip any leaves that would be submerged. It should take a few weeks for the stem to root; in the meantime, change the water every two weeks (more often if it’s murky) and feed hydroponic fertilizer once a month.

Dracaena

Dracaena is related to lucky bamboo and it, too, thrives in water. Cut a stem from an established plant, leaving a few leaves at the top. Don’t allow leaves to sit in the water, and change the water weekly. A complete root system can develop within two months in a hydroponic environment.

Monstera

Monstera thrives in water. Take a stem cutting with some roots and place it in a narrow-necked jar with non-chlorinated water. Change the water every 3 to 5 days and top off the water intermittently if you notice any has evaporated. The roots grow quickly, so you should keep an eye on them and trim them if they overgrow or turn brown. 

Peace Lily

Peace lilies are showy plants with large green leaves and pretty white blooms. You can grow them in water, either in a vase with a narrow neck or a glass, as long as the base of the plant is out of the water and only the stem is submerged. As the water evaporates, replenish it and completely change out the water every two weeks. You can add a few drops of hydroponic fertilizer when you change the water.

Prayer Plant

Prayer plants are frequently mistaken for fake plants with their shiny, ornately patterned leaves. To grow one in water, take a stem cutting and put it in water, preferably distilled. Feed with hydroponic fertilizer every three weeks and change the water every two to three weeks.

Sweetheart Hoya

Typically gifted on Valentine’s Day, Sweetheart Hoya gets its name from its heart-shaped leaves. To grow in water, cut a 5 to 10-inch stem with five or six leaves. Add a few drops of hydroponic fertilizer once a month.

Sweetheart Hoya is fussy about temperature, so you’ll need to keep it in an environment constantly between 68 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Herbs

Any soft-stem herb will survive solely in water. For best results, cut from the soft, green stem and not the woody stem. Herbs with woody stems will survive, but the stem tends to get mushy before it roots. Take a cutting from a mature, healthy plant and place it in a sunny spot. Herbs need plenty of bright, indirect light to thrive.

Vegetable Scraps

Regrowing vegetable scraps such as lettuce, green onions, and carrot tops is a fun way to reuse parts of the vegetable you typically toss. However, don’t expect a large harvest from them—regrowing scraps is mostly for fun.

Keep about 3 inches of the bottom part of the vegetables and place them in a shallow bowl of water. Your scraps will root and put out new growth from the center.