- Type
- Trees & Vines
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Season
- Spring·Fall
- Sowing
- Plant a sapling
Cudrania (Kkujippong)
Maclura tricuspidata
Anthocyanins · a thorny hedge tree with autumn fruit
Kkujippong is a small deciduous tree in the mulberry family. Stiff thorns along its branches made it a traditional field boundary and hedge, and it carries round red fruit 2 to 3cm across that ripens in autumn. The tree is dioecious, so a randomly bought sapling may never fruit; anyone planting for fruit needs a female tree or a grafted one. The Donguibogam lists it in the Wood section under the hanja name Jamok, glossed in Korean as moeppong (mountain mulberry). That entry gives it a warm nature, a sweet taste and no toxicity, and adds a dyeing note: the boiled sap will colour cloth yellow.
Year-Round Calendar
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Where It Grows
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Main producer
It grows wild on mountain foothills from central Korea southward, and since the 2000s cultivation has expanded in South Jeolla, South Gyeongsang, and North Jeolla. Harvest September, October
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- Wild population It grows wild across the mountain foothills of central and southern China, where it has long been used under the name zhe.
- Wild population It grows in the warmer parts of western Honshu and Kyushu.
Its range is the temperate zone of East Asia, spanning Korea, China, and Japan. Because the leaves and fruit have traditionally been gathered from wild trees, there are no global production statistics, and since Korea is effectively the only country where it is planted and grown as a field crop, the other two are listed as wild-growing. The Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) planted in the United States is a different species of the same genus and is not included.
- Optimum
- 15~25℃
- Range
- 5~33℃
- Hardiness
- Half-hardy
It is a deciduous shrub of the warm temperate zone. It grows wild on mountain foothills from central Korea southward and tolerates temperatures down to around -15℃, but anywhere colder, the branch tips freeze. Given plenty of sun and good drainage it will put up with even dry, gravelly ground, but its roots suffer in clay where water collects.
Harvested 3–4 years after planting. Grafted saplings begin to bear fruit three or four years after planting, and a proper harvest comes only from about the fifth or sixth year. There is no harvest in the year of planting.
In Korea Central Korea and south
It grows wild on mountain foothills from central Korea southward, with growing areas in South Jeolla, South Gyeongsang, and North Jeolla. Saplings are planted in March–April, and the fruit is picked in September–October once it has ripened to red. The tree is dioecious — male and female flowers grow on separate trees — so only a female tree or a grafted sapling will bear fruit.
How to grow
- Light
- Six hours of direct sun or more. Short of that the fruit sets poorly and colours weakly
- Soil and depth
- Any free-draining soil will do. It tolerates poor ground, but waterlogged clay rots the roots
- Spacing
- 4 to 5m between trees grown for fruit; 1 to 1.5m for a planted hedge line
- Watering
- Only the first summer needs attention. Once rooted the tree rarely needs watering at all
- Feeding
- A spadeful of compost around the trunk in early spring. Heavy nitrogen pushes long shoots and cuts the crop
- Harvest
- Pick in September and October, when the fruit has coloured evenly and comes away with a light pull. It softens by the day once ripening starts, so pick every other day rather than all at once. For leaves, pick young shoots in April and May while they are still tender
What makes the difference. Check the sex of the tree before planting. The species is dioecious, and a yard of male trees will never fruit however long you wait. The reliable route is a grafted sapling taken from a tree seen carrying fruit
Why this one is harder. The thorns are the real difficulty. On a mature tree they run 1 to 2cm and stiff, and a bare hand reaching in gets spiked. Thinning the inner branches during winter pruning to open a path for your arm makes harvest far easier
Common problems
- Mulberry scale insect You will see Rows of white or brown scabs along the branches, with leaves yellowing above them What to do Cut out heavily infested branches in winter and burn them; spray horticultural mineral oil before bud break
- Spider mites You will see Leaf undersides go rough in midsummer and the whole leaf fades to a dull white What to do Blast the undersides with a jet of water and water the ground beneath the tree during dry spells
- Birds (brown-eared bulbuls, magpies) You will see Colouring fruit is pecked hollow or disappears entirely What to do Throw netting over the tree about ten days before ripening. Cover the lower branches carefully — they go first
This page describes how a crop is grown and used. It does not claim health effects for any food, nor is it intended to prevent or treat disease. Component and study notes are references only and do not mean the same result occurs in people. Consult a medical professional about health concerns.
Health Benefits
What the Donguibogam records — nature, taste and a yellow dye. The Donguibogam lists the tree in the Wood section under the hanja name Jamok, glossed in Korean as moeppong (mountain mulberry). It records a warm nature, a sweet taste and no toxicity. The same entry adds that the boiled sap will dye cloth yellow, which is a note about dyeing rather than about eating. This is a historical medical record and differs from modern medical judgment.
Compositional reports by plant part. Prenylated flavonoid compounds have been isolated and reported from the leaf, stem and root bark of kkujippong. The same reports note that composition varies considerably with plant part and collection season. These are compositional analyses and have nothing to do with preventing or treating disease.
Fruit pigment analysis. Analyses report the red skin pigment of the ripe fruit as an anthocyanin. They also report wide variation in pigment content with stage of ripeness. This is an analysis of pigment composition.
Nutrition
- Anthocyanins (the red pigment in the skin of ripe fruit) — a water-soluble pigment that builds as the fruit ripens
- Prenylated flavonoids (isolated and reported from leaf, stem and root bark) — polyphenols reported across the mulberry family
- White latex (seeps from unripe fruit and cut branches) — the sticky sap common to the mulberry family
- Small seeds and fibre (several small seeds in every fruit) — insoluble fibre that gives the fruit its grain
Red pigment and ripeness The fruit runs from green through orange to red. The red skin pigment is reported as an anthocyanin. Unripe fruit is astringent and leaks white latex where it is cut, while fully ripe fruit collapses in the hand. Pick when the colour is evenly red and the stalk parts easily.
Flavonoids in leaf and stem Prenylated flavonoids have been isolated and reported from the leaf, stem and root bark of this tree. The reports are split by plant part, so eating the fruit and steeping the leaves are not the same compositional question. Leaves are usually picked in spring and pan-dried for tea. This entry stays with the compositional record.
Soft fruit and storage Ripe kkujippong is juicy with thin skin and bruises where it is picked. Left at room temperature it smells of fermentation within a day or two. Wash it the day it comes off the tree, drain it and freeze it in single portions. Frozen fruit also blends more easily.
Pairings
○ Yoghurt and milk — Frozen fruit blended into dairy gives a clean red colour. It is also a way to use the crop before it softens. Strain once through a sieve if the seeds get in the way.
○ Sugar preserves and jam — The thin skin means sugar draws juice out quickly. Acidity is low, so a squeeze of lemon sharpens the flavour. With so many seeds, jam is better blended and passed through a sieve.
○ Pan-dried leaf tea — Young spring leaves are pan-dried and steeped as tea. It is a way to use the tree outside fruiting season. Wear thick gloves when picking; the thorns catch hands easily.
△ Thorns — the injury that actually happens — A mature branch carries stiff thorns 1 to 2cm long. Getting spiked is by far the most common accident during picking and pruning, and the thorns go through clothing. Wear thick leather gloves and long sleeves, and clear cut branches away at once rather than leaving them underfoot. In a yard children use, trim the thorns from branches below eye height in advance.
△ Unripe fruit and white latex — As in other mulberry-family trees, unripe fruit and cut branches ooze a white latex. It is sticky, can sting on contact with skin, and stains clothing permanently. Leave hard, astringent fruit on the tree until it colours evenly. Wear gloves on pruning days and wash hands as soon as you finish.
△ Storing soft fruit — A bag of ripe fruit left out ferments and turns sour within a day. Discard anything that smells sour or shows white mould. Washing, draining and freezing on the day of picking is the safe route.
Varieties
- Seedling-grown sapling (sapling) — Raised from seed. Cheap, but its sex is unknown until it flowers and fruit takes years
- Grafted sapling (female scion) (sapling) — Grafted from a female tree already in fruit. Bears two or three years after planting
- Low-thorn selections (sapling) — Selections with short or sparse thorns. Far easier to manage in a small yard
- Close-planted leaf stock (sapling) — Cut low and grown dense for leaf harvest. Chosen when leaves matter more than fruit
Source: Donguibogam, Wood Section 柘木 · Rural Development Administration (Nongsaro)