Overview
A stolon is a type of horizontal stem produced by many plants that grows across or just above the surface of the soil and gives rise to new shoots and roots at nodes. When a stolon runs along the soil surface it is often called a runner; when an analogous stem grows entirely belowground it is usually termed a rhizome. Both strategies are forms of vegetative, or clonal, propagation in which genetically identical daughter plants develop from the parent.
Structure and growth
Stolons typically have elongated internodes and specialized nodes. At these nodes the plant can produce adventitious rootlets that anchor a new shoot and supply it with water and nutrients until it becomes independent. In some species stolons remain slender and mobile; in others they swell at the tip to form tubers or other storage organs. The anatomy and persistence of stolons vary widely between taxa and influence how rapidly a plant can colonize new ground.
Ecological and horticultural importance
Stoloniferous growth enables rapid horizontal spread, helping plants cover bare soil, stabilize substrates, and exploit patchy resources. Gardeners use stolons intentionally for propagation: gardeners separate rooted runners to produce new plants. Conversely, the same capability can make some species invasive by allowing them to form dense mats that suppress competitors. Examples familiar to gardeners include strawberry runners, and in agriculture, certain grasses and groundcovers use stolons to recover after disturbance.
Distinctions and examples
Although the words are sometimes used interchangeably in casual speech, botanical descriptions distinguish stolons (above or at the soil surface) from rhizomes (subterranean stems). Many plants feature one or the other, or stolon-like rhizomes. Common examples of plants with rhizomes include ginger, turmeric, banana and certain ferns such as Dryopteris. Many garden strawberries and some grasses produce conspicuous runners or stolons. Potato plants form subterranean stolons that can develop into tubers at their tips.
Practical notes and notable facts
Because offspring produced by stolons arise from the same genetic individual as the parent, patches formed by stoloniferous plants are often genetically uniform. This can be advantageous for quickly occupying an environment but may reduce genetic diversity in a local population. In cultivation, controlling unwanted stolon spread often involves removing runners or using physical barriers. Propagators exploit stolons to create clones efficiently and maintain desirable varieties.