Fragmentation

• 1). Ask gardeners to show you some examples of plants started from cuttings. Some species can reproduce themselves from a small piece or fragments of themselves, and many gardeners start new plants by planting plant cuttings. Many plants can reproduce this way even though they are capable of the sexual production of seeds. Roses, for example, can be started by cuttings from an adult plant. Roses flower and produce seeds (rose hips) via sexual reproduction, but they can also reproduce themselves asexually via cuttings, an example of fragmentation.
  
  
• 2). Look for lichens growing on rocks. Lichens are a combination of an algae (or bacteria) that can make food via photosynthesis, and a fungus. They must reproduce via fragmentation to ensure that the new individual contains both parts; the fragments are small, dustlike pieces that can blow away in the wind. Any time you see lichens growing on a rock, you are seeing evidence of fragmentation.
  
  
• 3). Experiment with pieces of mushroom to see if they will reproduce a new mushroom. Be sure to reproduce the environment mushrooms like to live in. Fungi (mushrooms and toadstools), animals such as starfish and annelid worms, and plants such as liverworts can reproduce using fragmentation.
  
  

Vegetative Reproduction

• 1). Look for a shoot connecting the larger plant to smaller, younger plants next time you see strawberry plants. Some species reproduce by creating new individuals from the parent plant. Some plants, such as strawberries, produce new plants by sending "runners" from their root system that then establish themselves as new plants. Irises and day lilies also propagate via above ground "roots" or rhizomes. Look for irises and day lilies, and see how closely they grow. If you can, dig some up to transplant, and look for the rhizomes or roots that start new plants. Grass also naturally spreads via its root system.
  
  
• 2). Dig up some bulbs to transplant in the late autumn, winter or early spring. Look for clumps of bulbs. The smaller bulbs have grown off of the parent bulb. Tulips and many bulb plants create new bulbs around the parent bulb; the new bulbs and resulting plants are clones.
  
  
• 3). Visit a nursery and look at the ends of spider plant leaves. Plants such as spider plants, which are common indoor hanging potted plants, produce little plants on the end of their leaves; these can be planted and will take root and live.