Sapling for Alstonia Scholaris from its leaf.

Aug 07, 2020

Never heard of this
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

I’ve never had any experience of this tree, so I went to Wikipedia and researched it. They use the leaf bunches of Alstonia scholaris in convocation ceremonies, hence the name, scholaris, referring to ‘scholar’ or ‘school’.

Nowhere in any of this extensive research did I come across anything regarding propagation by using a leaf. They don’t grow that way. The seeds are the most common way to propagate them. Grafting was also mentioned, but unless you get a special type or form of a seedling, I’m not sure how effective this method would be.

So, don’t waste time trying to do this. If you have a tree that’s actively growing and you want to try it, do some stem cuttings and root those.