Air layering can be a highly effective propagation method because it:

• A. Is only useful for evergreen trees
• B. Produces plants with identical cultivars and generally has a high success rate.
• C. Always yields seeds that are not uniform
• D. It is not possible on woody plants

Answer: (B)

Air layering works by encouraging roots to form on a stem while it is still attached to the parent plant. Because the new shoot remains connected, it receives water and nutrients from the parent as roots develop, which helps the new plant establish quickly once separated. The plant that emerges is a clone of the parent, so it preserves the same cultivar characteristics and growth habit. That genetic consistency, combined with the reliable rooting provided by the parent’s support, leads to a high success rate compared with many other propagation methods. This technique is widely used with many woody plants, not just evergreen trees, and it does not involve seeds, so the resulting plant is true to the parent rather than variable like seed progeny.