<P> Plant propagation is the process of creating new plants from a variety of sources: seeds, cuttings and other plant parts . Plant propagation can also refer to the artificial or natural dispersal of plants . </P> <P> Seeds and spores can be used for reproduction (through e.g. sowing). Seeds are typically produced from sexual reproduction within a species, because genetic recombination has occurred . A plant grown from seeds may have different characteristics from its parents . Some species produce seeds that require special conditions to germinate, such as cold treatment . The seeds of many Australian plants and plants from southern Africa and the American west require smoke or fire to germinate . Some plant species, including many trees do not produce seeds until they reach maturity, which may take many years . Seeds can be difficult to acquire and some plants do not produce seed at all . Some plants (like certain Plants modified using genetic use restriction technology may produce seed, but not fertile seed . In certain cases, this is done to prevent the accidental spreading of these plants, for example by birds and other animals . </P> <P> Plants have a number of mechanisms for asexual or vegetative reproduction . Some of these have been taken advantage of by horticulturists and gardeners to multiply or clone plants rapidly . Humans may utilize these processes as propagation methods, such as tissue culture and grafting . Plants are produced using material from a single parent and as such there is no exchange of genetic material, therefore vegetative propagation methods almost always produce plants that are identical to the parent . Vegetative reproduction uses plants parts such as roots, stems and leaves . </P> <P> In some plants seeds can be produced without fertilization and the seeds contain only the genetic material of the parent plant . Therefore, propagation via asexual seeds or apomixis is asexual reproduction but not vegetative propagation . </P>

The plant which propagates with the help of its leaves is