About
Broussonetia papyrifera 'Golden Shadow' is a robust deciduous tree or sizable shrub characterized by its bright yellow-green foliage. The leaves are somewhat hairy on their upper surface and have a soft, felt-like texture on the underside, with a mixture of lobed and unlobed forms. This female cultivar produces pale yellow-green flowers that appear in spherical clusters during the spring season. If pollination occurs, these flowers give way to sweet, edible orange fruits.
About the genus
Broussonetia consists of deciduous trees and shrubs that feature alternate leaf arrangement. The species exhibits a dioecious reproductive system, with male and female flowers appearing on distinct plants.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs, Trees
- Habit
- Bushy, Suckering
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 4-8 metres
- Spread
- 4-8 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in almost any well-drained soil, in full sun with shelter from wind. Where summers are hot enough to ripen wood, will mature as a tree, otherwise remains shrubby. Tolerant of pollution and poor soil. Can spread rapidly in warmer areas
- Pruning
- Minimal pruning required, see pruning group 1. Any pruning should be done in early winter when the plant is dormant to prevent bleeding
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed, by semi-ripe or hardwood cuttings, or by division, removing suckers in winter
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to canker and leaf spot