This flower is a grafting miracle plant; it can take on any graft and survive, and its blooms are full of fairy-like charm.

Gardeners who enjoy grafting Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) surely know of an excellent grafting rootstock, Ye Xian. In some places it is also called Mu Qilin (Pereskia). It grows especially fast and is generally used to graft Christmas cactus, though some gardeners also graft cactus balls. Some gardeners failed at grafting Christmas cactus, yet got an unexpected reward! Let's take a look.

“

Ye Xian

-Ye Xian grafting-

Ye Xian belongs to the cactus family (Cactaceae), and grafting within the same family is easy and compatible. So Christmas cactus and some cactus balls are well suited to being grafted onto Ye Xian. Moreover, Ye Xian does not go dormant in summer, so it grows very fast, and after grafting it quickly takes shape. Ye Xian has another advantage: if the graft fails, the original cut point heals very quickly. After healing, you can continue grafting.

Grafting Christmas cactus

Likewise, you can also graft Epiphyllum, night-blooming cereus, false Christmas cactus, Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, 'Shan Chui', Aporocactus flagelliformis, Christmas cactus, golden rat-tail cactus and other cactus family plants.

Grafting cactus balls is not exactly pretty, but it is quite novel.

However, if you can graft on a large scale, grafting white rat-tail cactus or Aporocactus flagelliformis into strings is also very spectacular.

But some gardeners failed at grafting. Looking at this fresh green plant, they could not bear to throw it away, and the result amazed them! It turns out Ye Xian also blooms, with a huge number of flowers, crystal clear like wax, and with a jasmine-like fragrance. What is lost in one place is gained in another.

(Christmas Cactus Forum, Xiao Ku 388)

Flowers fill the branches; just looking at them makes you happy!

(Tahua Xing, Liu Zi)

-Grafting method-

Use a knife to cut open the Ye Xian, and cut the Christmas cactus to create two slanted surfaces, exposing the vascular bundles, that is, the white veins. Insert it into the Ye Xian and secure it with a clip.

To graft a cactus ball or other cactus family plants, taking white rat-tail cactus as an example, cut a small cross-shaped opening at the bottom, cut the Ye Xian into a wedge shape, and insert it about 1 cm into the cross-shaped cut.

(19th Floor Home, yxw1010)

-How to care for Ye Xian-

The leaves of Ye Xian have not become woody, so it has leaves. Ye Xian is also very easy to propagate, and cuttings root easily. Ye Xian also has a very long lifespan; if conditions are suitable, several decades are no problem.

Ye Xian likes fertile, loose, well-drained soil. You can use a potting mix of 1 part leaf mold, 1 part garden soil, 1 part coarse sand, and a small amount of bone meal and plant ash.

Ye Xian should be placed in a spot with plenty of light. In summer, shade it appropriately or keep it in a place with scattered light. In autumn and winter, it can be kept in a sunny spot.

For watering, follow the principle of "water when dry, and water thoroughly when watering" for the potting soil. The potting soil should be neither too dry nor too wet. In winter, reduce watering and keep the potting soil dry; it is enough that the plant does not shrivel.

Below 5°C, the leaves will fall off and it will enter dormancy, and frost damage may also occur.

A thin liquid cake fertilizer is enough.

-How to propagate Ye Xian-

Cut a stem branch about 10 cm long, keep 2-4 leaves, insert it into sandy soil, water thoroughly, and it usually takes about 2 weeks to root.

The seemingly unremarkable Ye Xian really does produce fairy-like flowers!

Sometimes failure is not entirely a bad thing

Maybe heaven has given you another opportunity

Another reward!

After reading, share it with gardeners who need it~