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Grafting Techniques for Fatshedera: A How-To Guide
This is Fatshedera – an inter generic hybrid plant which was created by crossing Fatsia japonica ‘moserii’ and Hedera helix (common ivy) in a nursery in Nantes, France in 1912. It is said that the hybrid happened spontaneously, when the Fatsia fell madly in love with the Hedera and formed a union that continues until this day.
But who knows! Either way, what happened is magnificent:
Let’s remind ourselves what a Fatsia looks like:
And what a Hedera helix looks like:
What’s really cool about a bigeneric hybrid is that it is possible to graft scions from the original parent species onto the child hybrid. 1 For the graft to be successful, the plant you are grafting and the plant you are grafting to must be closely related—usually the same genus and species. So we decided to try grafting a few varieties of Hedera helix onto our Fatsehedera.
Totiotence refers to the potential ability of any part of a plant — except reproductive cells (egg and sperm) within a flower — to give rise to any other part of a plant, or even to a whole new plant. That’s because all of a plant’s cells (with some exceptions) house identical genetic information. Depending on the cellular environment and other influences, a cell may become a root, a petal, or any part of a plant.
When it comes to grafting, there’s no need to force stems to make roots; you simply join a scion2 to the rootstock3. The rootstock might be either a very young or a mature plant. All new growth above the graft will be from, and genetically identical to, the scion. In our case, we are hoping for the Fatshedera to grow trailing varieties of ivy, to create a ‘long-haired’ Fatshedera.
Luckily for us, the Jardins du Gué, an incredible garden near Poitiers, hosts the largest ivy collection in Europe – over 600 to date – and it just so happens to be where we work! So we had many ivy varieties to chose from. Special shout out to Paul and his hands that appear in all of the photos – he is really the graft master here, I am but the chronicler of miracles!
We went for Hedera helix ‘Tricolor’ (spectacular for its variegation and its colors) and Hedera helix ‘Sark’ (magnificent trailing, heart-shaped foliage).
17.10.2024 – Preparing the Scions
Hedera helix ‘Tricolor’ – preparing a scion using the Chip budding grafting technique4
Preparing the Rootstock
Create a superficial cut in the Fatshedera, about the same length and width as the base of your scion.
Let’s Graft
Gently align the scion with the rootstock.
Tie the scion firmly in place with a piece of string.
Add a grafting wax around the wounded areas to prevent any type of infection from settling in and ruining the chances of a successful graft. 5
Apply more grafting wax to ensure total protection.
Add a plastic bag around the area to ensure that the scion receives enough humidity in the first few months of his little life!
Kinship, contact, and hydration are key to a successful graft.
- Grafting is the act of placing a portion of one plant (bud or scion) into or on a stem, root, or branch of another (stock) in such a way that a union will be formed and the partners will continue to grow together. ↩︎
- Scion: a piece of stem ↩︎
- Rooftstock: the stem of an already rooted, growing plant ↩︎
- Chip budding: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_budding ↩︎
- Grafting wax: a composition of rosin, beeswax, tallow, and similar materials, used in gluing and sealing the wounds of newly grafted trees or shrubs ↩︎
13.12.2024 – Updates
Hedera helix ‘Tricolor’ did not seem to have made it but our two Hedera helix ‘Sark’ grafts are still going strong!
We’ll only know for certain in the spring when the real growth begins – so stay tuned!
