• Eventual height: 10m
  • Eventual spread: 10m

mulberry 'Chelsea'

mulberry Chelsea ( syn. King James )

5 year guarantee RHS award of garden merit
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12 litre pot | ½ standard | 1.3m tall £149.99 £119.99
PL30004495
£149.99 £119.99
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  • Standard £7.95
  • Named Day £14.95

This shrub is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.

  • Position: full sun
  • Soil: moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
  • Rate of growth: slow
  • Flowering period: May to June
  • Hardiness: fully hardy


This mulberry is derived from the last remaining tree that was planted during the reign of King James I, at what is now known as the Chelsea Physic Garden. Sadly the original tree no longer stands (it was felled to make way for an air raid shelter in the Second World War), but fortunately cuttings were taken, and this is one of its descendents. Needless to say it's a fine, old-fashioned English variety, that produces larger than average, succulent fruits, which have a rich flavour. These tend to start appearing relatively early in the plants life (usually around 4-5 years), with full production after 7-10 years. The low, gnarled branches and handsome foliage make it a very ornamental addition to the garden.


  • Garden care:
    When planting your mulberry, prepare a hole up to three times the diameter of its root system. Fork over the base of the pit in readiness, incorporating plenty of organic matter into the backfill and planting hole. Avoiding frozen and waterlogged soil, trees should be planted out as they arrive. If you've ordered a bare root tree, soak the roots in a bucket of water for half an hour prior to planting, or if this is not possible, they can be heeled in temporarily, covering their roots with soil, or potted up. Plant in full sun out of cold, drying winds. Little pruning is needed apart from removing low, dead, diseased or crossing branches. This must be tackled after leaf-fall, but before midwinter, to prevent the stems 'bleeding'.
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