Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 636: Chapter 633 Native Golden Osmanthus

Huo Sining thought to herself and couldn’t help but want to look more closely; unconsciously, she took a few steps closer to the bonsai.

”Huh?”

Upon a closer look, Huo Sining was surprised to find that her earlier judgment was completely wrong.

On the main trunk of this Golden Osmanthus, there wasn’t a single grafting seam!

Osmanthus trees are not cold-hardy or drought-resistant, and therefore are precious and difficult to maintain as bonsai, which is why most Golden Osmanthus bonsai are usually grafted onto rootstocks.

Typically, Ligustrum, wax tree, or fringetree are used for grafting Golden Osmanthus, selecting scion and rootstock branches of similar thickness for the grafting.

At the scion of the Golden Osmanthus, a wedge-shaped cut is made, and an equally high cut of the same size is made on the rootstock, then the two cuts are brought together so that they form a tight layer, thus completing the grafting process.

Once successful, the wound heals, leaving a grafting seam at the junction.

However, because the rootstock and the scion are not the same variety, a perfect fusion is not possible.

No matter how skilled the grafter is, a seamless result is unattainable; even if the rootstock and scion are of the same variety, the grafted flowers cannot be completely without marks.

Besides grafting, Golden Osmanthuses can also be grown by sowing seeds or cutting.

However, cuttings of Osmanthus planted in the soil lack a distinct primary root and easily produce adventitious roots elsewhere.

This Golden Osmanthus in front of her had a clearly divided rhizome, which left only one possibility: this Old Golden Osmanthus was not a grafted or cut plant, but a naturally grown Golden Osmanthus.

”It’s actually a naturally grown Golden Osmanthus...”

Having seen the true variety of this Golden Osmanthus, Huo Sining couldn’t help but take a sharp intake of breath.

Since naturally grown Golden Osmanthus is propagated by seeds, its growth rate is much slower compared to cut or grafted ones. Seedlings bloom late, and it takes more than ten years after planting to see flowers.

Looking at the current Golden Osmanthus, it had at least a history of over fifty years.

This realization shocked Huo Sining; her initial valuation of this Golden Osmanthus had been based on the price of a normally grafted Golden Osmanthus.

But, if it was a naturally grown plant, the price would have to be multiplied several times over.

A typical grafted Golden Osmanthus is matured in just three to five years.

Grafted Osmanthus trees are more cold-hardy and frost-resistant than the natural variety, making them easier to survive, and grafted varieties have another important advantage over naturally grown ones: the rootstocks used for grafting Golden Osmanthus are easier to shape.

Whether it is Ligustrum, wax tree, or fringetree, these grafted varieties are extremely vigorous plants that can survive even if their roots and stems are bent randomly during the seedling stage.

It is this characteristic that makes it extremely easy to shape the claw-shaped root form of grafted Osmanthus; the main trunk can be freely twisted and contorted into any shape.

Some flower enthusiasts even intentionally style the main trunk into simple Chinese characters or bird and flower shapes as a gimmick to attract attention.

It is precisely because there are grafted Golden Osmanthuses for comparison that naturally grown Golden Osmanthuses are all the more rare.

The native plant itself is extremely difficult to maintain, with a slow growth rate. Having an Old Golden Osmanthus of the size and shape before us is truly no easy feat in the nurturing process.

To judge the quality of a flower and wood bonsai, one generally needs to start from four aspects: tree age, tree roots, tree shape, and rarity.

Tree age is easy to understand; an old tree stump that’s several decades or even centuries old is naturally much more valuable than a common three-to-five-year-old flower bonsai.

Roots need little explanation; for most bonsais, the value is first judged by the old roots, which play a critical role in the value of the bonsai.

The pruning and control of the tree shape are most particular, as the overall shape of the bonsai directly affects both its aesthetics and its value. A bonsai with an unattractive shape, no matter what, cannot be considered a good bonsai.

Beyond the shape of the roots and stem, the shape of the canopy and the details of the fine branches are also meticulously considered.

As someone who nurtures plants, deciding which new branches to prune and which to keep during the pruning of flower bonsai is governed by strict principles. A single misstep in the process can potentially ruin years of careful cultivation.

As for rarity, it refers not only to the plant itself but also to the overall shape of the potting and the meanings behind it.

Among flowers like orchids, there are many rare varieties, with mutant orchids often fetching millions in exorbitant prices. This is because the majority of gardening enthusiasts have a penchant for novelty; ’the rarer, the more valuable’ applies in any circle.

Of course, this Old Golden Osmanthus before us can also be considered a rare species.

Whether it’s in terms of tree age, tree roots, or tree shape, this Old Golden Osmanthus is very perfect. The root shape of this Old Golden Osmanthus, resembling a dragon with five claws, would be quite common for plants created through grafting or stem cutting.

But for a native Old Golden Osmanthus, a dragon claw root with a trunk diameter of eight to nine centimeters can only be described as a divine skill.

Having made this assessment in her mind, Huo Sining was inwardly shocked. She had really misjudged earlier; this Golden Osmanthus, let alone fifty thousand, even if it were two hundred thousand, people would want it.

While she was thinking, the two masters had already started moving the Old Golden Osmanthus out of the restaurant.

Huo Sining curiously followed them out, only to see the two workers casually tossing the pot of Golden Osmanthus into a corner by the entrance corridor before casually returning inside.

Huo Sining was startled. The Old Golden Osmanthus was noble and notoriously difficult to cultivate.

It was summertime, and the midday sun was at its most scorching. Placing the Old Golden Osmanthus under that corridor to be exposed to the sun, wasn’t this condemning the plant to death?

How could the owner of this Golden Osmanthus be so careless? Moreover, with its significant value, just leaving it outside the door like this, wouldn’t it go unnoticed if someone who knew its worth came by and took it?

While she was pondering this, Qin Shaoyou and Yan Xuesong came out of the restaurant, and with her curiosity piqued, Huo Sining couldn’t help but approach and ask, ”Boss Zhao, is that Old Golden Osmanthus yours?”

Seeing that Huo Sining recognized it was an Old Golden Osmanthus, Zhao Guotian was somewhat surprised, smiling and nodding in response, ”Yes, that Golden Osmanthus is mine. Miss Huo, you’re also knowledgeable about Golden Osmanthus?”

Huo Sining shook her head, ”I wouldn’t say knowledgeable, I have only recently started learning about plant cultivation. In front of Mr. Yan, someone like me being a novice wouldn’t dare to show off.”

Zhao Guotian glanced at Yan Xuesong and sighed, ”You’re right, in front of him, we are all beginners. But even he, with his expertise, couldn’t save my Old Golden Osmanthus.”

Huo Sining was startled to hear this and looked toward the Old Golden Osmanthus being basked in the sunlight, her face displaying a look of puzzlement,

”Boss Zhao, I’ve read in books that the Old Golden Osmanthus is afraid of droughts and high temperatures. It’s noon right now, and you’ve placed the plant here...”

By saying this, Huo Sining proved that she was indeed a novice. An experienced caretaker would recognize at a glance that this Golden Osmanthus was already dead, but through the eyes of a beginner, one could only see luxuriant green leaves and a faint fragrance of flowers.