King James 1st mulberry trees
Morus nigra - Self-fertility: Self-fertile
King James 1st is a traditional English mulberry, dating from the reign of James 1st in the 17th century. It is also widely known as Chelsea.
It remains the most popular of mulberries, and is notable for the flavour of the fruits. These are a black/red colour, and should ripen in the middle of the mulberry season - around the end of August in southern England.
King James 1st mulberry trees for sale
Pot-grown
All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.
PG1Premium half-standard 12L pot-grown tree £71.50
Very large tree
(4m-7m after 10 years)
Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts
Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Next deliveries
Order now for delivery from week commencing 6th January.
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
Mulberry trees are self-fertile, easy to grow, and tend not to suffer from diseases. They are hardy trees and will grow in almost any situation, but you will get the best results if you can plant in a sunny open spot.
King James is fairly precocious by English mulberry standards, and you should start getting mulberries after about 4-5 years or so, with full production after about 7 years.
Mulberry trees grow slowly but steadily - the tree should get to around 5m-6m high after 10-15 years.
As with all mulberry trees, pruning is best avoided and is rarely necessary.
Keep the tree well-watered over spring and summer for the first 2-3 years after planting, and feed regularly until the tree has established.
History
The original King James mulberry tree was planted in Chelsea in the 17th century during the reign of James I - and it is often known as the Chelsea mulberry for this reason. This tree survived until the Second World War, when it was cut down to make way for an air raid shelter, however cuttings were taken from which new trees have been propagated.
King James 1st characteristics
- Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
- Flowering group3
British-grown trees 
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
Find out more.
In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance.
Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards
for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK.
Find out more
Guaranteed fruit trees
When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden whilst it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund - subject to some conditions.
Find out more.
