How to increase hybrid flower spawns in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Obtaining hybrids in Animal Crossing: New Horizons can be a complicated affair, and you can go days without ever spawning one. There is a way to increase their growth, though – and it’s a lifesaver for those wanting different colored flowers.

Growing rare plants has been a staple in the Animal Crossing series ever since Wild World came out on the Nintendo DS back in 2005. It involves placing two of the same flower types together in a strategic way, and then watering them in the hopes of it spawning a new one with a unique color.

We all know the pain of going days without anything happening, though, and sometimes, a new flower will spawn but it’s just the same kind and not a hybrid – the struggle is real. For those with a green thumb, there’s actually a way to increase your chances of getting a rare flower, and it’s easier than you might expect.

Nintendo (via Twitter: @triforcemeg)

Hybrid flowers are unique in color compared to regular ones.

How to increase hybrid chances in New Horizons

Playing with other people in Animal Crossing has always been a key feature for a lot of fans, whether it’s experiencing the game with friends, or a stranger when trading or selling items. The last thing anyone thinks of is taking care of the host’s plants – but it’s something that actually should be done if you want to grow hybrids.

• Read More: How to make a rock garden in New Horizons

Twitter users ‘yuecrossing,’ ‘_Ninji,’ and ‘aiterusawato‘ revealed that having other people water your flowers actually increases your chance of producing new ones. To find out which plants can reproduce, just look to see if they sparkle or not once they’ve been watered.

The production chance increases for every person who does it, up to five at 80%. If a flower is sparkly to you, it means you don’t need to water it yourself anymore, so bring along a friend or two to help boost your rates. Note that anyone living on your island won’t count – it needs to be someone from far away.

At 0-5 visitors, blue, silvery sparkles will appear infrequently, whereas if you manage to get five, they’ll show up as large, gold glitters. The bonus can also still be applied when it’s raining, so don’t let that put you off.

Nintendo (via Twitter: @triforcemeg)

You’ll have a whole field of hybrids soon enough.

If you don’t know how to breed hybrid flowers in the first place, or how to get particular colors, check out our ‘everything you need to know’ guide.

• Read More: How to stop villagers from moving out in New Horizons

Once you get the hang of it, growing rare plants is easy – especially if you have a few friends willing to bring along a watering can.