Propagating Freesias: Methods For Starting Or Dividing Freesia Plants

freesia bulbs
freesia bulbs
(Image credit: sarahdoow)

Freesias are beautiful, fragrant flowering plants that have a well-deserved place in plenty of gardens. What could be better than one freesia plant? Lots of freesia plants, of course! Keep reading to learn more about how to propagate a freesia.

Freesia Propagation Methods

There are two main methods of propagating freesias: by seed and by corm division. Both have high success rates, so it’s really up to you and how you want to go about things. Freesias grown from seed usually take 8 to 12 months to bloom, while plants grown from divided corms will take a few years.

Propagating Freesias from Seed

Freesias are hardy in USDA zones 9 and 10. If you live in one of these zones, you can sow your seeds directly in the soil in the spring. If you want to start them indoors first, plant them in the fall and plant out seedlings in the spring. If you live in a cooler climate, you’ll want to plant your freesias in containers that can be brought indoors in the winter.

Container grown freesias can be planted at any time of the year. Soak your freesia seeds in water for 24 hours before planting. Plant them ½ inch (1 cm.) deep in light, moist soil. The seeds may take several months to germinate.

Dividing Freesia Plants

The other main method of freesia propagation is corm division. Freesias grow from corms, which are similar to bulbs. If you dig up a freesia corm, it should have smaller corms attached to the bottom of it. These are called cormels, and each can be grown into its own new freesia plant.

Plant the cormels ½ inch (1 cm.) deep in moist potting soil. They should produce foliage in the first year, but it will probably be three to four years before they flower.

Liz Baessler
Senior Editor

The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.