Kozo, Chu
Broussonetia kazinoki

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A shrub. It grows 2-4 m tall. It has a spreading habit. Plants are separately male and female. Branches are hairy when young. The twigs are red. The leaf stalks is about 1 cm long. The leaf blade is oval or heart shaped and 3-7 cm long by 3-4 cm wide. Leaves can be 25 cm long. They are either simple or have 3 lobes. There are triangular teeth along the edges. The male flowers are in very short clustered catkins. The female flowers are in small heads. The fruiting heads are red and hairy.

There are 8 Broussonetia species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate and subtropical plant. It is native to Japan and Korea. It grows in mountain forests. It suits hardiness zones 6-11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Britain, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Flowers, leaves, fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from cuttings. Plants can be grown from seed. Seeds may produce male or female plants.

In southern China plants flower in April and May and fruit in May to June.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Broussonetia kazinoki var. nyangensis P.H.Ling & X.W.Wei;