Thank you very much Drew 'Malus is a genus of crabapples and apples.' Exactly what I found on the internet. Most references to Malus link to apples and very few linked to 'white mulberry'. That is what confused me. Most of the deciduous trees here have dropped leaves so I'm not worried about the plant. I'll see what happens next spring when it leaves out. Even if it is a crab apple tree I will be happy. I love its blossoms. Happy gardening.

Can Morus Nigra survive in zone 6? There is a local nursery here selling 1" caliper fruiting mulberry trees labeled "Persian Fruiting Mulberry morus nigra". At first I scoffed thinking that they were selling something that had no chance of surviving here, but after some looking online now I don't know. Some web sites like the one linked above say morus nigra is hardy to zone 5, while many other suggest hardiness only to zone 7 or 8. What is the truth? I looked at the California Rare Fruit Growers pages and they say that morus nigra will begin being harmed at 5 degrees and killed at 0 degrees. We rarely drop below 0 here, but we do have late frosts. Would planting a morus nigra in zone 6 be a death centence or would 0 degree weather for a few days simply result in a few branches dieing back? The other question is I am pretty sure this morus nigra for sale is grafted, probably only white mulberry root stock. The graft, I think, is about 5 feet high. If temperatures did drop below zero for a day or two would it cause the graft to die leaving a regular old bland white mulberry. Would planting a morus nigra next to the house offer it enough protection? I have a very small Illinois everbearing mulberry that I ordered this spring, but the idea of getting a morus nigra to grow is very appealing. I asked this question in the fruit and orchard forum, but have not received an answer yet. Here is a link that might be useful: California Rare Fruit Growers

It has been shown that norway spruces regularly exposed to strong winds develop a different cross-section of their major roots. The roots on unstressed trees have oval/circular cross-section while those of stressed trees have a T-shaped cross-section that improves their resistance to wind-throw. Biological systems (and most complex systems, also inanimate ones) develop in different ways in response to consistent stresses. Just as a plant develops a deeper root systems in response to droughts, or grows taller to reach canopy, I don't see what is so unbelievable in imagining how a plant will direct its resources to improve its structure, when repeatedly stressed by wind. What Tom mentioned is, I believe, also responsible for the phenomenon of the Fir Waves... Now, coming to the topic of the conversation, I believe these adaptations will take time to set in, and I think staking would make sense in that light. Also, staking means everything and nothing. I can stake a tree so that its trunk will not move by one inch. Or I can stake widely enough just so it won't topple. These two ways of staking must have completely different effects on how the plant will adapt to wind.

Hapuu has wide shallow root systems. The 2.5x4x4 box is good, but the fern will not get as big as it can if it was planted in the ground. Keep it moisted, but with good drainage, use mulch to fertilize it.