From: "Brungardt, Sam (MPCA)" <sam.brungardt@state.mn.us>
To: nafex mailing list at ibiblio <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [nafex] Kokuso mulberry (thread was Morus nigra)
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2013 21:28:11 +0000
Yes, Oikos does describe 'Kokuso' as being M. nigra. However, Forest Farm,
which also propagates many desirable species and cultivars, describes
'Kokuso' as being M. alba.
Apparently, there are a number of Kokuso selections. The Sericulture
Experiment Station-Vratsa (Bulgaria) lists four: 20, 21, 27, and 70. It
describes 'Kokuso 20', 'Kokuso 21' and 'Kokuso 70' as M. latifolia and
'Kokuso 27' as M. alba. (Some taxonomic experts say that M. latifolia is the
same as M. alba.)
And the description of whatever Kokuso cultivar that's being propagated and
sold in the USA varies quite a bit, with some nurseries claiming it is more
hardy than some well-known hardy cultivars. For example, Burnt Ridge Nursery
says: "Dark fruited Korean variety. Earlier ripening than Illinois
[Everbearing] with very high quality firm fruit. Reportedly even hardier than
Illinois Everbearing and grown even farther North, up into Minnesota."
I would guess that the Kokuso cultivar being propagated in the USA is Kokuso
20, since that is the only Kokuso cultivar in the inventory of the USDA's
National Clonal Germplasm Respository for Fruit and Nut Crops at Davis,
Calif. See http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=12835 .
Sam Brungardt, St. Paul, Minn. (USDA Hardiness Zone 4a)
-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Matt Demmon
Sent: Saturday, April 06, 2013 7:17 AM
To: nafex mailing list at ibiblio
Subject: Re: [nafex] Morus nigra
We'll see! I think I trust Oikos to get species right, they grow a pretty
extensive list and seem pretty on top of things. I did have a 'Kokuso'
mulberry for a while, that was supposed to be M. nigra, although I've heard
various things about it. It did fruit, and the fruit was the tastiest
mulberry I've ever had, and the leaves and buds didn't look like any other
mulberry I've seen, but I don't know if it was M. nigra. It suffered winter
damage every year and finally kicked it after 4 seasons.