Morus alba 'Chaparral'

White Mulberry

Morus alba ‘Chaparral’ is a small deciduous ornamental tree valued for its strongly weeping habit, glossy green leaves, and dense umbrella-like canopy. It is a male selection of white mulberry, so it is generally fruitless, avoiding the messy staining fruit associated with female mulberries. The leaves are often glossy, dark green, and variably lobed, while the branches cascade downward to create a formal, architectural specimen tree. Oregon State describes it as a grafted weeping form, typically around 8–12 ft. tall and wide, with yellowish-green catkins in spring but no fruit.

Type: Deciduous ornamental tree
Mature Size: 8–12 ft. wide × 8–12 ft. tall, depending on graft height and pruning
USDA Zones: 4a–8b
Form: Grafted standard with dense, umbrella-shaped, strongly weeping canopy
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil / Water: Adaptable to many soils, including average, dry, and alkaline soils; low to medium water once established
Bloom Time / Length: Spring; inconspicuous yellowish-green catkins
Wildlife: Male selection is fruitless, so it offers less bird fruit value than fruiting mulberries; canopy can provide shelter

Features & Landscape Uses:
Excellent as a specimen tree, focal point, courtyard tree, children’s garden feature, small lawn tree, or formal accent where a cascading canopy is desired. It gives the look of a weeping mulberry without the fruit mess, making it cleaner near lawns, patios, and walkways than fruiting female forms.

Care:
Prune in late fall or winter to shape the canopy and remove dead, crossing, or overly long branches. Because the plant is usually grafted, remove any upright shoots from below the graft. Train or thin young branches as needed to maintain an attractive umbrella form. White mulberry can be invasive in some regions, so using a male fruitless selection helps reduce seed spread, but local invasive-plant guidance should still be considered.  

 

Plant type

Deciduous Tree

Height

8-12'

Width

8-12'

Hardiness zones

4–9

Sunlight

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Bloom time

Spring

Flower color

Yellow

Leaf color

Green

Fall color

Yellow

Soil

Highly Adaptable

Landscape use

Accent Plant, Fruit, Specimen

Shape

Weeping

Bark

Smooth

Salt tolerant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No