Cudrania tricuspidata Seeds | Chinese Mulberry
LATIN NAME: Cudrania tricuspidata
COMMON NAME: Chinese Mulberry
Plant Profile
Cudrania tricuspidata, commonly known as Chinese Mulberry, is a tree in the mulberry family. The Chinese mulberry is tree that old farms kept for its leaves, its wood and its fruit. Tree is a generous, long-lived presence of farm, hedge and the garden. It is a tree of open, sunny, well-drained ground. The flowers pull in pollinating insects, which quietly widens its usefulness in the garden. Few species give back so generously for so little effort.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the mulberry family regularly include Cudrania tricuspidata in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. The Chinese mulberry has a long, low-key record in plant science, studied for orange-red, raspberry-like fruits and strong, yellowish wood. The upshot for anyone sowing it is reassurance — cultivated stock of this plant has a long, well-documented track record.
Uses & Benefits
Chinese Mulberry brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. The Chinese mulberry is a tough, generous tree of old farm and modern garden. Round, orange-red fruits are eaten fresh or made into jams and wines of countryside, and strong, yellowish wood is cut for tools, furniture and fine joinery. Tree is also a fine, thorny hedge of old farm, keeping stock in and trespassers out, and leaves feed silkworms of old silk villages. Establishment is uncomplicated, and afterwards ordinary care suffices.
Che tree fruits are edible and mulberry-like, and the bark and roots appear in Chinese folk medicine; the wood yields a traditional yellow dye.
Growing from Seed
Chinese Mulberry grows readily from seed. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
Given the right start, Chinese Mulberry is a long-term garden companion. Among the Cudrania group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. Minor errors in timing or watering rarely cost the grower the crop.
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