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ABSTRACT The competence of adult plants of mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) to undergo adventitious rooting is essential to their vegetative rescue by cuttings. This study aimed to evaluate the adventitious rooting competence of adult mate plants, and then rescue these plants by making cuttings from epicormic shoots induced in different trunk positions. The percent survival and rooting of cuttings from epicormic shoots induced by girdling in seven adult plants were evaluated. The two stock plants whose cuttings had the highest rooting competence were further pruned and girdled to evaluate the effect of the position of epicormic shoots on their adventitious rooting competence. The potential success of rescuing of the same adult plants was also studied with cuttings of epicormic shoots induced by coppicing. The shoots were sectioned in single-bud cuttings, either treated with 3,000 mg L-1 indolebutyric acid or untreated, and then cultivated in a humid chamber for 60 days, and then the percent survival and rooting of cuttings was evaluated. In conclusion, we found that it is possible to rescue adult mate plants by cuttings from epicormic shoots induced by pruning, girdling, or coppicing. The adventitious rooting competence of cuttings differs among adult mate plants, and depends on the position of the epicormic shoots on the trunk from which epicormic shoots are collected.