Legal Definitions - asexually reproducing plant

Asexually Reproducing Plant

An asexually reproducing plant is a plant that reproduces without the use of seeds. This can be done through methods such as cutting, grafting, and budding. Only new, unique, and not obvious species of asexually reproducing plants can be protected under the Plant Patent Act.

• A spider plant that produces "babies" on the ends of its stems that can be cut off and planted to grow into a new plant.
• A rose bush that can be propagated by taking a cutting from a healthy stem and planting it in soil to grow into a new bush.
• A grapevine that can be grafted onto a different rootstock to create a new variety of grape.

These examples illustrate how asexually reproducing plants can be propagated without the use of seeds. By taking a cutting, grafting, or budding, a new plant can be created that is genetically identical to the parent plant. This can be useful for creating new varieties of plants that have desirable traits, such as disease resistance or improved fruit quality.