What Does Adventitious Root Mean?
In botany, an adventitious root refers to a bud that grows on the internode of the plant, or in another unusual place. In other words, adventitious roots grow from an area of the plant other than the root zone. They usually grow off a stem, or sometimes a leaf. Adventitious roots are especially numerous on the underground parts of stems.
In some cases, adventitious roots result from a plant injury. Adventitious roots have been known to increase the plant’s chances for survival since the plant can propagate itself.
Adventitious roots can be quite useful in hostile environments or flooding.
Maximum Yield Explains Adventitious Root
Plants such as cypress, oak trees, tomatoes, and ivy have been known to sprout adventitious roots to encourage propagation while sharing resources. These types of roots have also been known to sprout from strangler figs since they act as a source of support for the plant. In these cases, the adventitious roots can actually be larger and stronger than the actual plant or tree. This is especially evident in strangler figs.
As far as propagation is concerned, these roots originate from shoot cells and thrive in high-ethylene environments or low-oxygen conditions. In some cases, it is possible to propagate plants with adventitious roots simply by trimming a portion of the stem and planting it in a soilless grow medium.
