{"product_id":"weeping-mulberry-standards-morus-alba-pendula","title":"Weeping Mulberry Standards - Morus alba Pendula","description":"\u003cp\u003eA weeping mulberry standard is two plants joined into one shape. A straight, upright stem of ordinary white mulberry carries a grafted head of Morus alba Pendula, a form whose branches arch over and hang straight down, so the tree builds a dense, rounded curtain of large, glossy leaves that reaches toward the ground. In summer that curtain makes a cool, leafy room that children claim as a cubby; in winter the leaves fall and the bare, twisting framework becomes a sculpture in its own right. It is also a fruiting tree. The berries form along the hanging branches, right at the height of a small child's reach, and taste sweet and mild rather than sharp.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe height you buy is roughly the height you keep\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause the branches grow down rather than up, the tree gets wider each year but only a little taller than the graft. That makes it predictable in a small garden or a courtyard, and it is why it is sold as a standard: the length of clean stem sets the finished height. If you want more height later, tie one strong shoot from the top of the head to a tall stake and train it upward, and it will weep from a new, higher point. Treat it as a feature that also crops rather than an orchard tree that also looks good; it sits as comfortably among the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/topiary-and-standards\"\u003eTopiary and Standards\u003c\/a\u003e as among the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/fruit-trees\"\u003eFruit Trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlant it out in the open, in full sun. Sun reaching it from every side is what keeps the head even; planted against a wall or fence it grows lopsided. It is deciduous and frost hardy and grows well across most of mainland Australia, from cool southern gardens to subtropical Queensland. It will also live in a large pot for some years, provided the pot is heavy and broad enough not to tip once the head is in full leaf.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSuckers, stakes, fallen fruit and seedlings\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery grafted standard has the same weak point. Shoots that appear on the stem below the graft, or from the roots, belong to the upright rootstock, and they grow fast and strong; rub or cut them off as soon as you see them, or they take over and the weeping head starves. Keep the stem tied to a sturdy stake for the first few years, because a heavy head in leaf catches wind like a sail and can snap the trunk or pull it over.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause the head hangs low, ripe fruit drops inside the curtain rather than scattering, so the ground beneath wants bark or a groundcover rather than pavers; birds take a share of what does not fall. Below the graft it is still a full strength white mulberry, and its shallow roots spread well past the edge of the head, so keep pipes, drains and paths clear of that zone. White mulberry has also naturalised from bird spread seed along creeks and roadsides, most widely in New South Wales and south-east Queensland, though it is not a declared weed. Its seedlings grow into ordinary upright trees, so pull any that come up in the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSetting the length of the skirt\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeafless winter is when the hanging framework is easiest to read, so do the main cut then. Shorten the hanging branches to the length you want, a little above the ground for a clean skirt or left long for a full curtain, and thin out crossing and crowded branches inside the head so light and air reach the centre. The cut ends bleed a milky latex that some people react to, so do this in gloves. In summer, tip the branches lightly to keep the outline even.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCompost spread under the head in late winter is most of the feeding it needs, and a deep soak every week or so through dry spells in spring and summer keeps the berries plump. For a richer, sharper flavoured crop from a full size tree, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/black-mulberry-morus-nigra\"\u003eBlack Mulberry\u003c\/a\u003e is the species to plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 3 sizes, from 300mm up to 500mm, priced from $219.00 to $459.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Every size here is established stock rather than a starter plant, so this line is intended for immediate effect rather than for growing on. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/when-to-plant-trees-and-shrubs-australia\"\u003ewhen to plant in Australia\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"300mm","offer_id":67672063181169,"sku":null,"price":219.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400mm","offer_id":67672063213937,"sku":null,"price":289.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500mm","offer_id":67672063246705,"sku":null,"price":459.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/weeping-mulberry-standards-morus-alba-pendula.jpg?v=1791523642","url":"https:\/\/plantdrop.com.au\/products\/weeping-mulberry-standards-morus-alba-pendula","provider":"Plant Drop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}