Lavender
The woody stems of lavender put it into the hardwood or softwood cutting category, although some people have success placing stems in water.
Lavender is one of the best plants to propagate yourself as it can be expensive depending on the species and cultivar. They are considered perennials, but tend to lose their vigor after 3 -4 years and grow better replanted. In just 2-4 weeks, you should have new plants to grow on and plant out into the garden.
Basil
One of the easiest cuttings to grow is basil. Their soft stems do best in water, requiring little attention to produce roots.
Plus, you can’t have enough basil in the garden. Making a decent pesto or even keeping bugs away from other plants requires plenty of cuttings. Grow basil with tomatoes for the tastiest combo around.
Here’s How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Basil
Rosemary
Another one of the hard or softwood plants that are often propagated with good results is rosemary. Like lavender, rosemary can get leggy after a while, looking better if pulled from the garden and replanted.
The stems of your leftover rosemary make great meat skewers for food and they impart a lovely herby taste, adding another use for woody cuttings.
