When a cutting becomes callused, what will it soon form?

• A. Form leaves
• B. Form roots
• C. Flowering
• D. Grow taller

Answer: (B)

When a cutting is wounded, the plant tissue at the cut end forms callus as a protective, undifferentiated layer. In many cuttings, this callus then differentiates to form adventitious roots, especially when kept humid and sometimes aided by rooting hormones. Roots are needed to take up water and nutrients, allowing the cutting to become a new plant.

Leaves come from shoot tips, not from the base where the cut was made, so new leaves aren’t the immediate result of callusing. Flowering requires a mature plant and the right conditions, which isn’t the first step after taking a cutting. Growth to taller size likewise depends on established roots and overall vigor, which come after root formation.