Crossplants

Crossplants is a term used in horticulture and botany to describe plants produced by deliberate crossbreeding between individuals from different varieties, cultivars, or species. Crossplants aim to combine desirable traits such as improved yield, pest and disease resistance, environmental tolerance, or ornamental characteristics. The term encompasses both classical hybridization and contemporary approaches that integrate genetic material from distinct lineages, including wide crosses and backcrossing; some definitions may extend to genome-edited variants if they result from cross-species genetic integration.

In practice, crossplants are produced through controlled pollination, isolation of flowers, and selection of offspring over multiple generations to stabilize traits. Hybrid vigor, or heterosis, is a common result, yielding offspring with enhanced performance relative to parents. Challenges include unpredictable trait expression, reduced fertility in some crosses, and the need for extensive selection to achieve uniform lines. Regulatory and ecological considerations may apply, particularly with wide crosses that risk gene flow.

Crossplants are used in agriculture to improve crops and in ornamentals to expand color, form, and fragrance. They also play a role in conservation breeding programs to preserve genetic diversity. The term is sometimes used in popular horticulture to describe garden plants that clearly show combined traits from multiple lineages.

See also: Hybrid, Plant breeding, Hybridization, Grafting.