Honey information technology or hate it, the extremely adjustable mulberry tree can handle the toughest gardening weather condition. Mulberries thrive in environments where other trees struggle to survive. This versatile tree will perform well in salty sea spray, hot and dry summers, poor soil, sun and shade. Mulberries come in many shapes and forms, including dwarf, weeping, fruitless and high-quality fruiting varieties.

Shutterstock/Malivan Iuliia

Mulberry copse make a hitting addition to this landscape pattern filled with colour.

Botanical Name: Morus spp.
Common Name: Mulberry
Light Needs: Full sun to lite shade
Hardiness Zones: (4)5 to 8(9)
Top & Width: Up to 50' tall with an equal spread, although smaller varieties are available
Growth Rate: Fast

The 3 prevalent species of mulberry in Due north America are the native blood-red mulberry (Morus rubra), the introduced black mulberry (Morus nigra), and the frequently problematic and even invasive white mulberry (Morus alba). All three species are somewhat similar in terms of habit, acme, flower and fruit quality, with cultivated varieties available for form, leaf and fruit (or lack thereof).

Mulberry copse may produce just male or female flowers on one plant, or both flower types may be present on one tree. In June through July, trees will produce a heavy crop of white, red, purple or black fruit that resemble long, sparse blackberries. Fully-ripe fruits will easily split up from the tree. To speed up the mulberry harvest, lay a clean tarp on the ground below and give the branch a gentle milk shake. These sweet and flavorful fruits are delicious fresh, stale, juiced or in preserves.

Birds love mulberry fruits, which is a expert and bad thing. Mulberries are an of import source of food for many species of birds. Unfortunately, mulberry-laden fruit droppings can discolor and even permanently stain pavement and patios below. Mulberry seeds can survive a trip through a bird'southward digestive tract, which means that hungry birds can also spread not-native mulberry species. This is especially an issue in the many states where white mulberry is classified as an invasive establish. Await for fruitless varieties to limit the spread of invasive species and eliminate messy bird droppings.

Leaf Shape

All mulberry species have polymorphic leaves that can vary dramatically in size and shape — fifty-fifty across the aforementioned tree. In sunny atmospheric condition, mulberry leaves are often mitten or fig shaped and deeply lobed, while in the shade foliage tends to exist much larger and more than rounded, taking on an elongated center shape. These are both adaptive responses to help mulberries thrive. Lobed leaves are more efficient at conserving water, and large rounded leaves are better able to capture sunlight through the canopy.

Species

Cerise mulberry (Morus rubra) has an all-encompassing native range from north in Massachusetts, south to Florida and Texas, and westward to Nebraska. Cerise mulberry is naturally plant growing in rich woods and forth riverbanks and bottomlands. For best results, plant this species in moist, well-drained soil with plenty of organic affair. The sweetness summer fruits are relished by humans and birds alike. Given the right conditions, red mulberry tin can even produce fantastic gold fall color. It'south tricky to distinguish ruby-red from white mulberry plants, especially because they hybridize in the wild. Although these species have similar shaped leaves, blood-red mulberry leaves won't be shine and glossy like white mulberries.

Black mulberry (1000. nigra) is native to Western Asia. Its big, delicious fruits rapidly made it a popular choice when it was introduced to European countries in the 1500s. Although this species has escaped tillage and caused disturbance in native habitats in other areas of the globe, it is not currently classified as an invasive species in nigh areas of the United States.

White mulberry (One thousand. alba) has been grown in N America since colonial times when it was imported from China as forage for silkworms. Although silk production failed, white mulberry thrived. This species has go naturalized throughout much of the continent. As this robust and adaptable species established itself in the wild, it displaced many other native species, including blood-red mulberry. Today, there are many fruitless and highly ornamental varieties available in myriad forms, which means that it is possible to grow white mulberry without worrying equally much about its touch on beyond the garden walls.

How to Use Mulberry in Your Landscape

Mulberries can be grown for shade, fruit or as a statement tree. Ornamental white mulberries tolerate a wide range of conditions including pollution, salt spray, total sunday, light shade, extreme heat, infertile soils and even some drought. If yous choose a fruiting variety (or if you're unsure whether information technology volition produce fruit), site mulberry well away from pavement, patio article of furniture and laundry lines. Large, established trees may elevator sidewalks, driveways and patios, then be sure to give roots plenty of room to grow.

How to Establish Mulberry

Mulberries are extremely adjustable and will tolerate full sunday to low-cal shade and about soil types. These tough trees abound well from seed, rooted cuttings, and nursery-grown container plants. For all-time results, constitute out in cool spring or autumn atmospheric condition. Water every few days during the first season, and so as needed one time the roots are established.

In gardens with intense wind, stake immature trees during the first season. Use safety strapping instead of wire or rope to secure the tree to the stake. Wide rubber straps will grow along with the branch and shouldn't damage bawl. Regardless of the staking system used, it's important to remove stakes and straps equally shortly as the tree is established.

Mulberry Care

Mulberries are generally tough, carefree trees that need little intendance after the first season. Although mature mulberries can handle some drought weather, trees grown in hot, dry areas with sandy soils volition perform better with regular h2o and fertilizer.

Pruning

Mulberries naturally produce a congested crown full of thin, crossing branches that give these copse a reputation of being messy and unkempt. Plan on annual pruning to achieve a healthy addiction with a strong shape. Mulberry's milky sap tin irritate some folks' pare, so be sure to wear gloves and long sleeves for protection while working on this tree.

Employ hand pruners to trim out slender branches that are half inch or smaller in diameter. Loppers come in handy for cutting out branches that are up to 3 inches in diameter. Employ a hand saw to remove larger branches. When using a hand saw, begin with an undercut below the limb to prevent the bawl from vehement and damaging the tree.

Follow the branch back to where it sprouts out from the trunk or larger limb and remove information technology at the base. Don't leave a stub behind. Dormant buds on mulberry stubs may sprout, making the crown even more congested than it was before pruning.

Health Problems

According to Michael Dirr's Transmission of Woody Landscape Copse, mulberries are susceptible to many insect pests and disease problems including leaf spot, bacterial blight, cankers, powdery mildew, scale insects and ii-spotted spider mites. If your mulberry tree seems to exist struggling, call your local county extension office to correctly identify the problem and find a solution.

Shutterstock/wms5637

Fruiting varieties of mulberry produce loads of blackberry-like fruit that birds love as much equally humans do.

Popular Mulberry Varieties

Fruitless Mulberries

  • M. alba 'Fruitless' – deeply lobed, glossy green leaves
  • M. alba 'Kingan' – a fast-growing tree that produces lustrous leathery leaves and has excellent common salt tolerance

Dwarf Mulberries

  • G. alba 'Fegyvernekiana' – very bushy and meaty pick that will grow to 4 feet in height; fruitless
  • M. rubra 'Super Dwarf' – a slow growing variety of the native mulberry; diminutive 3-foot-tall bushes are densely covered with adorable tiny, securely lobed leaves

Weeping Mulberries

  • M. alba 'Chaparral' – splendid weeping habit on a compact 8-foot-tall tree; bonny brilliant green leafage; fruitless
  • M. alba 'Urbana' – very attractive imposing, gnarled weeping habit; about xx' high with similar spread; fruitless

Fruiting Mulberries

  • M. rubra – there are some superior fruiting varieties of this species (including 'Hick's Everbearing', 'Johnson', and 'Travis') that are hard to notice commercially; however, the straight species of this native mulberry produces a plentiful crop of succulent fruits
  • M. nigra 'Blackness Beauty' – especially large fruits are easier to achieve on this 15-foot-tall multifariousness
  • M. nigra 'Wellington' – a big, 30-human foot tree that produces delicious, loftier quality fruit; proficient cold-hardiness