Green Mums are a hybrid flower in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This variety cannot be purchased as seeds and is obtained only through a specific, multi-stage cross-pollination process. Successfully growing this flower requires a precise approach to breeding.
The Hidden Genetic Codes of Mums
The flower breeding system is modeled after basic Mendelian genetics. The visible color of a flower is only one part of its genetic makeup, as each flower carries hidden alleles that determine the color of its offspring. For example, a common red mum may look identical to a hybrid red mum, but the latter possesses a different internal genetic code necessary for producing rare colors. Simply pairing flowers of the correct color is often not enough to guarantee the desired outcome.
Flowers bought from the shop as seeds always possess a standardized, known genetic profile. These seed flowers serve as the reliable starting point for any complex hybrid breeding project. The goal is to isolate the specific hidden alleles required for the green color. Players must carefully track the lineage of their flowers, as mixing unknown flowers can introduce undesirable genetic codes.
Step-by-Step Guide to Breeding Green Mums
The process for growing Green Mums involves a three-step sequence to combine the necessary genetic codes.
The first step is to create a specific hybrid yellow mum by cross-pollinating a seed-bought Red Mum with a seed-bought Yellow Mum. This pairing has a 100% chance of producing a yellow flower that carries the hidden genetic traits needed for the next stage. It is important to separate these new hybrid yellows from the original seed yellows to avoid confusion.
The second phase begins by cross-pollinating these special hybrid Yellow Mums with each other. When two special Yellow Mums are bred, there is an approximate 25% chance of producing a Hybrid Purple Mum. The Hybrid Purple Mum is the precursor to the green variety, and all other resulting colors should be discarded to maintain the purity of the breeding patch.
The final stage involves breeding the resulting Hybrid Purple Mums together. When two of these genetically specific purple flowers are cross-pollinated, there is a 25% probability that they will yield a Green Mum. If the pairing produces another purple flower, that new purple can also be used in the breeding patch, as it carries the correct genetic profile.
Maximizing Flower Production and Growth Rate
To increase the speed and probability of hybrid generation, several environmental factors and placement strategies can be employed. Flowers only have a chance to cross-pollinate and produce a new flower on the following day if they have been watered. Self-watering provides a base chance for a new flower to bloom in the surrounding eight tiles.
The chance of producing offspring is amplified when non-resident players visit the island and water the flowers. Each unique visitor who waters the same patch adds a bonus to the production rate for the following day. Having five unique visitors water the flowers can increase the likelihood of new blooms by up to 80%.
Optimizing the physical layout of the flower patch is also important for efficiency. Planting the parent flowers in a checkerboard pattern, with one empty space surrounding each flower, ensures that any new hybrid has an open tile to spawn. This pattern prevents the parent flowers from cloning themselves asexually, which would take up a breeding spot. Once a Green Mum is successfully grown, it can be cloned by planting it in isolation and watering it daily.