"..... it's rooted into the soil it gets the same water and sunlight as the rest but there isn't a single shoot growing from it at all why?" Let me preface my post by saying stem (meriSTEMatic) cells are capable of differentiating/dividing to form any plant organ tissue. When your propagule (cutting) includes a part of a stem or branch from the start, it already has meristematic tissues at every node and at the branch apex (apical meristem) where primary growth takes place. When you start a leaf cutting which has no meristematic tissues, the only way it can grow a stem is if the species of plant you're propagating is capable of dedifferentiation followed by redifferentation to form meristematic tissue. Most plants are incapable of this process, making it imperative that you include at least one node to ensure success. Many plants incapable of dedifferentiation and redifferention without a node are perfectly capable of growing roots from leaf stems, but incapable of forming a stem. These are most often referred to as 'blind cuttings'. Schefflera is such a plant.
As you know, your plant is capable of forming a stem from a leaf cutting, but there are several factors that affect the rate at which this can occur. How much stored energy the parent plant has at the time the cutting is taken is a big factor, and several other factors come into play insofar as how they affect stored energy. A cutting that came from the sunny side or top of the plant will nearly always have more stored energy than one taken from low on the plant where it is shaded by overhanging branches. Leaves or cuttings from branches oriented vertically as opposed to horizontally will also have more stored energy, and it takes energy to drive the process.
It doesn't sound like the propagule you asked about was a 'failure', so just be patient. You know the jade leaf propagule is capable of forming another complete plant, it's just not occurring at the same rate it occurred in the other propagules.
Al
