Broussonetia papyrifera Bilardii

Broussonetia papyrifera ‘Bilardii’ is a form of the paper mulberry notable for its finely divided leaves and its reduced size compared to the type. In the garden, this small deciduous tree combines a light habit with great hardiness. Its foliage provides dappled shade and its graphic form works from spring to autumn. Undemanding, it establishes in most well-drained soils and tolerates very dry summers. It should be planted in regions that are not too cold.

From the Moraceae family, Broussonetia papyrifera (synonym: Morus papyrifera) is native to East Asia, from China to Korea, including Taiwan and Japan, and has spread widely elsewhere. The genus name honours the naturalist Pierre-Auguste Broussonet and the epithet papyrifera recalls the centuries-old use of its inner bark fibres for making traditional papers.
The cultivar ‘Bilardii’ — also encountered with the spelling ‘Billardii’ — is a horticultural selection. The habit of this small tree is rounded to spreading, accompanied by rapid growth in the first years; in open ground, a mature specimen reaches a height and spread of 3 to 4 m. At 10 years old, one can expect 2 to 3 m in height depending on the soil and climate. The shoots contain a white latex, visible when cut. The wood is quite brittle. The plant suckers readily and can grow into large clumps if the suckers are not removed.
The deciduous foliage, very polymorphous in the species, becomes deeply divided in ‘Bilardii’, into 3–5 lobes that are very narrow and lanceolate, with dentate margins and an acuminate apex; the lobes are more thread-like on young shoots; the lamina is rough to the touch on the upper surface and villous beneath. The petioles are slightly winged. The leaf colour is a fairly light green turning yellow late in the season. The spring flowering occurs from April to May. There are male and female specimens. The male aments are cylindrical and the female inflorescences are globose; after pollination, female specimens bear in summer aggregate fruits, globose, orange-red, decorative and edible, but fragile. They are a treat for humans, but also for birds which help disperse the tree in favourable climates. The grey bark becomes striate with age, the young reddish-brown stems are pubescent. This variety is capable of regenerating from the stump below -12°C. Very undemanding, it tolerates the presence of limestone perfectly, as well as poor and sandy soils.

Broussonetia papyrifera ‘Bilardii’ is an elegant and original small tree, well-suited to dry, Mediterranean or mild Atlantic gardens. Use it as a standalone specimen on a lawn. At its base, plant for example Mascarene Grass. Limit pruning to a light reshaping in late winter to balance its crown and clear its trunk if you want a small parasol shape. In a large exotic border, you can pair it with Euphorbia characias, Beschorneria yuccoides, Yucca rostrata, Phlomis fruticosa and Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’. An architectural plant, it can also mark a path or the garden entrance.

Broussonetia papyrifera bears many common names such as Chinese mulberry, Spanish mulberry, paper mulberry, or deer tree. Names declined in multiple languages, as numerous as the regions of the world that have welcomed this great traveller from Asia. For centuries, its inner bark (the bast, called kozo) has been beaten and sieved to make strong and durable papers — washi, hôshô or xuan — and also serves as raw material for plant-based cloths like tapa in the Pacific.