The hot water plant (Achimenes hybrids) is a colorful gesneriad plant and can be used as potted decorative plants indoors. These impatiens-like plants can also be used outdoors in mixed containers and in hanging baskets. Increased commercial production of Achimenes is limited for a couple of reasons. Achimenes are typically propagated by rhizomes and rhizome production is limited due to poorly understood plant responses to environmental conditions to develop rhizomes and subsequent dormancy release. Moreover, rhizomes also randomly develop on stolons and enlarged roots in growing media, making harvesting challenging. One alternative method to asexually propagate Achimenes would be from stem tip cuttings or leaf cuttings. This study investigated three different Achimenes selections and the effects of bottom heat and three different rooting hormone concentrations [0; 1,000; and 8,000 ppm indole-3-butryic acid (IBA)] on root and shoot development on Achimenes leaf petiole cuttings. Generally, leaf cuttings for all three selections developed more shoots without bottom heat, although not always significant. All leaf cuttings, for all selections propagated with and without bottom heat, developed roots and shoots. The percent leaves developing adventitious shoots were lowest for leaves treated with bottom heat for 0 and 8,000 ppm IBA in ‘A16’ at 80% and for 8,000 ppm IBA in ‘A23’ at 60%. Root ratings, based on a scale of 0 (no adventitious roots) to 5 (significant number and length), were significantly higher across all auxin levels for leaves grown without bottom heat in ‘A16’ and ‘A23’. This study demonstrated that leaf petiole cuttings for Achimenes can be successful and result in rooted cuttings producing adventitious shoots, which could be potentially further propagated.
