Broussonetia papyrifera Golden Shadow

Broussonetia papyrifera 'Golden Shadow' is a variety of paper mulberry recently selected in the United States for the beautiful yellow colour of its foliage, particularly durable throughout the season. Its large velvety leaves, of variable shape on the same branch, often surprisingly lobed, turn chartreuse green in summer. It blooms in late spring, offering curious light red pompom-shaped inflorescences. Cultivated since ancient times in Southeast Asia, the paper mulberry is a deciduous graphical, lush, tropical-looking but very resistant small tree. Its size can be easily controlled by pruning young shoots, allowing it to be planted in cold regions in a large pot on the terrace or in a shrub bed.

The paper mulberry, Spanish mulberry or Chinese mulberry, belongs to the family of Moraceae, just like our silkworm mulberries, and produces latex in its tissues, like all members of its family. Originally from temperate regions of Southeast Asia, especially China, Japan, and Polynesia, it has long been cultivated for the production of high-quality paper in its native lands. This small tree with a spreading and irregular habit has slightly suckering roots, capable of producing suckers. It often grows with multiple stems, each supporting a spreading umbrella-like crown. Its growth is rapid during the first few years, then slows down. It can reach 8m (26ft 2in) in all directions in favourable climates, but it is often pruned in spring to shape it into a large shrub not exceeding 2 to 3m (6ft 7in to 9ft 10in) in all directions. Broussonetia papyrifera is a dioecious plant, meaning that there are separate male and female individuals.

The 'Golden Shadow' cultivar, female, will only bear fruit in the presence of another paper mulberry with male flowers arranged in pendulous catkins. Its bark is grey-beige, slightly striated. The young branches are pubescent, grey-green in colour. The leaves, deciduous, are polymorphous, meaning that their appearance can vary depending on their position on the branches. They are heart-shaped or deeply lobed, with 3 to 7 lobes resembling an ace of spades. Smooth on the surface, velvety on the underside, finely toothed along the edges, they measure 7 to 20cm (2.8 to 7.9in) in all directions. In this 'Golden Shadow' variety, they are chrome yellow from spring to summer, slightly tinted with greener hues in late summer and autumn. Its flowering, in May-June, consists of axillary pendulous female inflorescences, composed of tiny red flowers. When pollinated by a male plant, they produce round fruits measuring 2 to 3cm (0.8 to 1.2in) in diameter, red-orange in colour, edible, juicy, and sweet, but fragile. They are enjoyed by humans as well as birds. Its root system, both taproot and spreading, does not appreciate transplantations. Its size implies that it should be planted at a respectable distance from buildings.

Morus papyrifera 'Golden Shadow' is capable of regrowing from the stump below -12°C. It is not demanding on soil type and tolerates the presence of limestone or poor sandy soils perfectly. It is an excellent ground shrub for dry, Mediterranean, or mild Atlantic gardens. However, it should not be planted directly exposed to sea spray in coastal areas. It tolerates pollution well, allowing it to be adopted in small urban gardens, which are better protected from severe frosts. Traditionally used as a solitary plant for the beauty of its foliage, it can also be planted in a large container on a well-sheltered terrace. It is also useful on slopes to combat soil erosion. In a large exotic bed, for example, it can be associated with Tetrapanax papyrifera, banana trees, Beschorneria yuccoides, Melianthus major, Chamaerops humilis, Cordylines, Agaves, or Yuccas. As an architectural and structural plant, it can also mark a path or the entrance of a house.