What is the term for the union of a small piece of bark with a bud and a rootstock?

The term for the union of a small piece of bark with a bud and a rootstock is referred to as bud grafting. This method involves taking a bud from one plant and attaching it to the rootstock of another plant. The primary purpose is to propagate desired traits from the donor plant while using the root system of a compatible plant, which aids in growth and vigor.

Bud grafting is particularly advantageous for producing specific cultivar characteristics, such as flower or fruit quality, while also ensuring adaptability to various soil conditions or pest resistance inherent in the rootstock. This technique is widely used in horticulture, especially in fruit tree cultivation and ornamental plants.

The other terms represent different grafting techniques: scion refers to a piece of a plant taken for grafting; chip grafting involves removing a chip of bark from both the scion and rootstock and then joining them together; stool grafting pertains to a method where young shoots are grafted onto a mother plant that has been allowed to develop a specific growth structure. These terms differ in technique and context from bud grafting.