The problem
Propagation is where good intentions go to die. You take a cutting, pop it in water and wait. Sometimes you are rewarded with roots, sometimes not. So the internet offers an organic aid that sounds almost too folkloric to be true: brew your own rooting hormone from a willow tree.
The hack
Willow contains indolebutyric acid, auxin (a plant hormone that is the main active ingredient in commercial rooting powders), along with salicylic acid, better known as the basis of aspirin.
The method
Cut a few thin willow twigs, ideally fresh new growth taken in late winter or early spring when the hormone is most concentrated. Strip off any leaves, cut the stems into short pieces and lightly crush them. Then steep them in a jar of boiling or cold water for 24 to 72 hours, until the water takes on a faint colour. Strain out the twigs. Stand your fresh cuttings in the willow water to root.
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The test
I made a batch from twigs I found under a local willow tree and used it to root pothos and tradescantia cuttings, alongside a control group in plain water. The willow-water cuttings rooted faster and none of them rotted. Two of the plain water cuttings grew shorter roots more slowly; the rest went limp.
The verdict
This is one of the rare homemade hacks that stands up. Indolebutyric acid promotes growth, while salicylic acid helps protect the cutting from bacteria and fungi that cause rot. It won’t outperform a good commercial hormone on a difficult plant, but for everyday houseplant propagation, willow water is ancient wisdom that genuinely works.