Photo gallery
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Flat top Morus alba Platinifolia on our nursery -
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Close up of the canopy before the Morus bread bud -
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Morus alba Platinifolia flat tops before they come into leaf on the nursery
Mullberry
Morus alba Platinifolia (Parasol shape)About this product
Inspired by similarly shaped trees in continental piazzas, we grow Morus alba Platinifolia, also known as Parasol Tree, as a natural-headed umbrella to provide much-needed shade on blistering summer days for pedestrians and urban areas. Its green glossy leaves form a dense crown, and we grow this type with a 1.9-2m clear stem to create a living parasol.
Other nurseries grow this as a so-called ‘flat top’ with a horizontal bamboo frame straight, jacketing the crown, but in reality, this tree is too vigorous to be kept in this way, and the need for continual pruning would make its purpose uneconomic. Instead, we remove its leader to encourage its natural domed effect which requires very little ongoing maintenance.
Thriving on most free-draining soils, it is a sun lover, so it is a great choice for cooling down urban areas that do not get any relief from the sun.
As we have to start the crown so high to fulfil its purpose, it is only available as the finished article once it reaches about 20-25cm girth in one of our 250-litre light pots.