Nettle shrubby Mulberry (Debregeasia orientalis) - hardy shrub - about 25-50 seeds

Nettle shrubby Mulberry  (Debregeasia orientalis) - hardy shrub - about 25-50 seeds

Debregeasia orientalis is called in China as “shui ma” which can be probably translated as “water hemp”. This name refers to use of the inner bark of this genus plants in manner similar as hemp fibers. This is medium size, deciduous, dioecious shrub, native to east Asia (including Japan) and belongs to Nettle Family (Urticaceae). It creates its inflorescences on thick branches (caulifloric) and next edible orange fruits (which are similar to small round, orange mulberries) with  very sweet taste and amazing, exotic aroma. But it blooms only on revious years branches, so need mild climate to harvest the fruits (zone 8 or warmer). The roots are resistant even to zone 6b/7a if mulched, but if frost kill the branches, the plant survives, but there is no fruit. Fruits are ripening in summer and fall down when overripe. Female plants can create seedless fruits in not pollinated. We have both sexes, so we are harvesting every year viable seeds. We place whole fruits into organza bags and keeping them in moist substrate in fridge. The flesh decomposes, but seeds are never dried and become viable by long time, not loss viability. They need to be sown surface in warm and germinates fast and easily. In first year the seedlings can attain 0,5-1,5 m tall (2-5 ft) and starts to bloming in the second spring. This is rarity in trading, hard to find, due is was not easily to get both male and female plants (but we did it! So we have viable seeds). From seeds should theoretically grow both sexes in ratio about 50:50. In sale package of 25-50 very small, moist-stored seeds (closed in organza bag and mildly moist moss).