In general, vegetative sources refer to the parts of a plant that can be used to grow new plants. This includes stems, leaves, roots, and sometimes even buds. For example, a stem cutting taken from a healthy plant can be used to propagate or grow a new plant with identical genetics to the original. Similarly, some plants can be grown from leaf cuttings or root cuttings. Vegetative propagation is a common technique used in agriculture and horticulture to reproduce plants with desirable traits or to maintain genetic consistency in a crop.