Chinese mulberry

Survives zone 7 through 9

Harvest calendar

Best planted in early spring after your last frost, or in fall before the ground freezes, depending on your climate.

A wild mountain mulberry mainly of genetic and research importance — its genome was the first published for the genus, and its unusually low chromosome count (2n=14, versus 2n=28 in most cultivated mulberries) marks it as basal to the rest of Morus. Fruit follows the usual mulberry pattern (juicy, sweet with tartness while under-ripe) but is not commercially grown; no verified figures on cultivated size or crop performance were found for this species specifically, so treat this as a wild botanical entry rather than a garden recommendation.

Hardiness

Zone 7–9

Habit

Tree

Edible part

Fruit, Leaf

Ripens

May–June

Mature size

To 15 m tall

Light

Full sun to part shade

Soil pH

5.5–7.5 (acidic to neutral)

Environment

Temperate montane

Native range

Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, China — broadleaved evergreen forest at 1,300–2,800 m elevation.

Status

Wild

Years to fruit

4–6 yrs

Growth speed

Moderate

Spacing

600 cm (236 in) apart — about 36 m² (388 sq ft) per plant

Leaf shape

Ovate, toothed, variably lobed like other mulberries

Root system

Deep and spreading, typical of the genus; brittle and best not disturbed once the tree is settled.

Fruit description

Elongated, blackberry-like aggregate fruit typical of the genus, juicy, sweet-tart

Propagation

Seed, or hardwood/softwood cuttings as for other Morus species.

Pollination

Wind-pollinated; dioecious (separate male and female trees).

The edible parts listed above are a starting point, not a field guide. Identify a plant with certainty — ideally against a local authority — before eating any part of it, and read the full disclaimer. Spotted something wrong? Report it.