Morusspp.
mulberry tree trees are members of the Moraceae family , which include over a thousand mintage of bloom plant . TheMorusgenus has 19 species of deciduous mulberry tree trees .
Home gardener in zone 4 to 10 who shop for mulberry will in all probability find three Asian metal money : ignominious , Morus nigra , white aka silkworm mulberry , M. alba , and theme mulberry , which was previously classified in theMorusgenus but now fit byBroussonetia papyrifera .
In add-on there are two mintage autochthonic to North America : red , M. rubra , and Texas or MexicanM. celtidifolia , akaM. microphylla . The epithet relate to the color of the flower bud , not that of the yield .
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gardener have a love / hate relationship with the mulberry Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Proponents cite its value as a landscape painting shade tree diagram , benefit to good pollinators and wildlife , and abundant fruiting .
opposer dislike its production of potentially allergy - induce pollen , the mess made by bird that consume Chuck Berry and allow for droppings on cars and laundry , and its ability to ego - sow .
lily-white mulberry tree are so aggressive with their ability to grow in poor soil and self - source abundantly that Illinois , Kentucky , and Tennessee have placed them on the invasive specie list and ban them .
likewise , the newspaper publisher mulberry is a Category II Invasive Species monitored for its ability to displace aboriginal plant .
So before you plant , check with your local agricultural filename extension to make a sound environmental option that complies with the regulation in your region .
That said , let ’s get into the details of how to develop and manage for mulberry trees in the home landscape painting .
Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
Quick Look
How to Grow
Species and Cultivars
care
multiplication
Pests and Disease
harvest
Cooking thought
A mulberry tree has ellipse , mitten , or heart - shaped fleeceable leaves with striking vein and serrated margin . They shade off icteric in the twilight .
In the spring , characterless green , spike - corresponding catkins bloom .
Fruiting mixed bag produce multiple pinkish , blood-red , calamitous , or whitedrupes , which are fruits that consist of little “ druplets , ” each containing a seed . The average fruit is about an column inch long .
Mulberries are generally monoicous , which mean they bear both male and distaff flowers .
There are some that are dioecious , where both a male and a distaff Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree are required for pollenation .
Common name(s):Mulberry
Plant type : Deciduous tree diagram
Hardiness ( USDA Zone):4 - 10
Native to : sia , Central America , North America
Bloom time / season : bound flowers , summer fruits
picture : Full sun to part shade
grime eccentric : Organically productive , well - draining
land pH:6.0 - 6.5 , slightly acid
Time to maturity:4 - 10 year
ripen size:12 - 50 ft wide x 8 - 70 foot high ( depending on type )
honest uses : Shade , specimen , yield Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Taxonomy
Order : Rosales
Family : Moraceae
Genus : Morus
Species : Alba , celtidifolia , microphylla , nigra , rubra
Depending on the eccentric you opt , home landscape pick range from eight to 70 feet marvellous and 12 to 50 feet wide .
Early record of red mulberry phthisis in North America engagement to the 1500s , when the Spanish adventurer Hernando de Soto saw the indigenous Muskogee people eating the dried fruits .
The white mulberry ( M. alba ) is native to China , where for thousands of year it was cultivated as the nutrient of choice for wild wilkworm ( Bombyx mori ) .
By the 1600s , a thriving silk industry in China was the envy of the British . King James commit silkworm and mulberry seeds to Virginia to lead off sericulture – the raising of silkworms for silk – in America .
“ Mulberry mania ” took place in the 1800s , whenmulticaulis , a higher-ranking variety of the white species , was imported from China and damage for mulberry tree Tree soar .
The silk produce from giant silkworm fed onM. multicaulisfoliage was superior to that of those fed onM. albafoliage .
From 1843 to 1844 , a blight kill many trees . Compounded by silkworm disease and the hyperbolic prices from meditation , the American silk industry waned .
The fruits of this iconic Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree never found a place in the commercial-grade market , being too soft for transportation system and too short - dwell to be profitable .
Sometimes the fruits make their mode into local farmer ’ marketplace , and are a treat when they do .
When provided with the veracious conditions , turn mulberry tree is easy .
allow ’s take a look at their ethnical requirements .
Location
Choose a locating withfull sunor part shade .
The point you choose should be adult enough to oblige the big , shady canopy and equally wide root system , away from your home , overhead wires , infected roofing tile , and underground public utility company pipes .
Soil
The ideal soil is organically - rich , moist , and well - draining , with a somewhat acidulous pH of 6.0 to 6.5 .
Water
After planting , water every week in the absence of pelting . As they get on , trees develop drouth allowance .
Fertilizing
fecundate every spring using a nitrogen - rich , dim - release , granular product .
pitter-patter it manually , start up six inches out from the trunk and stay to the edge of the leaf canopy .
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree - Tone provides a nitrogen - phosphorous - atomic number 19 ( NPK ) ratio of 6 - 3 - 2 and is suitable for fruit , ornamental , and nicety Tree . It ’s an organic quick - to - sprinkling production .
Tree - Tone
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree - Tone is available from Espomavia Amazon .
Species and Cultivars to Select
In increase to straight species suited to Zones ranging from 4 to 10 , there are cultivated varieties .
Depending upon potential limitation in your locale , the following are options to consider :
Chaparral
M. alba‘Chaparral ’ is a dwarf weeping clean cultivar with downward curve branches you could prune artistically for an umbrella effect . This cultivar does not produce yield .
‘ Chaparral ’
This option is suited to Zones 4 to 8 . It has a medium ontogenesis rate and humble dimension of eight to 10 feet tall and 12 to 15 feet wide .
‘ Chaparral ’ weeping mulberry trees areavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Dwarf Black
This dwarf variety ofM. nigraproduces full - size of it , naughty black berries from July to September .
Dwarf Black Mulberry
It develop good in Zones 6 to 10 , has a fast growth pace , and turn over 12 to 15 invertebrate foot tall and wide of the mark at maturity .
fruit dwarf dark mulberry tree areavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Red
The cerise mulberry tree , M. rubra , is a North American species that produces bountiful yields of luscious crimson - to - imperial berries from June to August .
Red Mulberry
Fast - growing red mulberry trees flourish in Zones 5 to 9 and contact heights of 50 to 70 pes with a 30- to 40 - foot ranch .
red-faced mulberry tree trees areavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
A mulberry tree tree is one of the easiest to deal for , requiringjust a little pruningduring winter quiescency to off damage or sickly branches .
void clip in early spring when the sticky sap flow .
When it ’s mature , your landscape specimen can easily transition from joy to nuisance .
As mentioned , the mulberry has chance upon the status of “ weed ” in many areas , as it self - sow effortlessly and can grow in pavement cracks and along building foundations .
Remove wayward seedlings in the spring while their roots are shallow , to keep them from take clutches .
Mulberries like to reproduce themselves which makes propagation easy .
you may start with seeds , cuttings , air layering , simple-minded layering , or by transplant a sapling from the nursery .
From Seed
If you find seed available for leverage , make trusted it get along from a reliable source .
you’re able to also harvest semen from exist mulberries – just be aware that in the subject of crop varieties , seeds may not grow straight to the parent plant .
To glean and sow germ :
Alternatively , you may save seeds for spring planting . But if you do this , you ’ll need to cold - stratify them before seed .
Here ’s how :
When they have two sets of true leaves , transplant the seedling to individual container two inches wide-eyed and deeper than the etymon mass , or into the ground out of doors .
Alternatively , after the last frost appointment , sow cold-blooded - stratified seeds directly into garden grime , eight to 12 inches apart in a sunny locating .
piddle well and keep the grime moist .
flimsy in - ground saplings when they are 12 inches grandiloquent to admit mature dimensions .
From Stem Cuttings
Early summertime is the good time to take cutting , so they have a chance to rootle well before the first frost .
When you see new growth , that ’s a sign the cutting off has take origin .
Air Layering
springiness is the time to diffuse by air layering :
When you see base , employ trimmer to murder the frozen upper base from the lower portion as snug to the ascendent mass as possible .
organ transplant into a container two inches wider and recondite than the origin mass .
Maintain even wet without oversaturation and care for the new plant in its container for the first six months to a year .
Simple Layering
give is also ideal for round-eyed layering , which is interchangeable to gentle wind - layering , except we put the stem in the soil rather of wrap it with sphagnum moss .
This is only really applicable to specimens that have branches very low to the ground .
Here are the steps :
Transplant into a container two inches deeper and wider than the root slew .
Transplanting
When transplanting from a germ starter cell or container , it ’s important to take down the depth of the seedling , cutting , superimposed stem , or sapling in its original container .
You ’ll want to replicate that same depth in the landscape painting to reduce transplant stupor .
Prepare the garden soil to a deepness double as wide and double as bass as the antecedent mass you intend to implant . If your sapling is hearty and wrapped in gunny , remove the swathe .
Loosen the root and place the tree upright in the freshly excavate hole and backfill with grunge to hold it in spot .
pee well and tamp down the soil unwaveringly .
Fertilizer is not required at planting time .
Trees should be far enough asunder to allow them to accomplish mature proportion unimpeded .
Managing Pests and Disease
Successful cultivation requires vigilant monitoring for signs of blighter and disease .
The best defense against pesterer and disease is to gather all cultural requirements for sun , grunge , and water and to practice sanitary habits , like cleaninghand toolsandgarden shoesafter purpose .
Pests
Aphids , mealybugs , scale , andwhitefliesare sapsucking insects that damage foliage and fruits , causing discoloration , deformity , foliage drop cloth , and stunt in advanced stages .
Stem borers are beetle larvae that tunnel into trunks and branches . Species in theObereagenus are common in the United States and target area mulberry .
As they feed , they make tunnel of stagnant plant life tissue that can kill branch and full trees . take away affected staunch like a shot and demolish them . insecticide may not be effective .
Disease
There are a variety of diseases that may affect your mulberry tree trees . Here are the principal ones to be cognisant of :
Telltale signs of mulberry bacterial blight , caused byPseudomonas syringae pv . mori , include watersoaked leaf lesion and wilt , desiccated foliation at the offshoot tips .
mastery measure include rationalize moved share and address with a fluent copper fungicide .
Cankers are dour lesions on the bark do by numerous species of kingdom Fungi , including those in theCytosporaandDothiorellagenera .
Prune dead material and see you bear plant with adequate watering and fertilizing , as imperfect specimens are most vulnerable .
fictitious mildew , from theMycosphaerella morifungus , is a disease principally seen in the south , with symptoms presenting on the leafage undersides , including white , powdery patches , and a web - like visual aspect .
Destroy affected leaves and lend oneself a copper fungicide .
Various fungi , includingCercospora moricolaandCercosporellaspp . , cause leafage spot .
Symptoms include tan spot bordered by red , and advanced event may lead to defoliation . Remove affected foliation and apply a liquid copper fungicide .
Zea mays everta disease , which is plebeian in southerly regions , adversely affect mostly white mulberry , disrupting ripen , but not overall tree health .
It is stimulate by a fungus , Ciboria carunculoides . Remove all affected yield and dispose of it in the methamphetamine hydrochloride . A Bordeaux intermixture of copper sulfate and lime is the treatment of selection .
If you have ever grown zucchini or pumpkin , you ’ll likely be aware of powdery mildew . This fungal experimental condition shows up as a whitened dusting on the surface of the leaves .
We have aguide to powdery mildewwhich detail how to describe and treat this vulgar condition .
Southern cotton root guff , caused byPhymatotrichum omnivorum , and mushroom root rot , caused byArmillaria melleafungi , are most likely to affect trees depict vulnerable by wound to their roots and/or pitiful wellness .
Symptoms include wilt and blue leaf drop cloth . Pruning away affected theme , improve drain , and deal with a copper fungicide may save the tree .
reckon on the eccentric you are growing , you’re able to expect to begin harvest mulberry fruits when your tree diagram is between four and 10 years quondam .
Picking is easy – too easy . When they are ripe and quick to harvest , the tenuous tinge to fruit or branch release the berry . And unless you are overly vigorous , those still green or pale in color remain affiliated .
The dear way to assemble them is to put old , clean sheet around the tree ’s stand and gently stir the limb to release their bounty . The fruit - defile linen paper are easy enough to wash and reuse the following year .
mulberry tree do not keep well , so contrive to wash off , rust , preserve , or manipulate them immediately . Discard any that are deformed , discolor , malodorous , mushy , or pest - infested .
What can you do with these culinary delight ?
mulberry are a tasty add-on to any recipe requiring Chuck Berry . However , they are very juicy and may water down your world .
attempt them as a backup man for raisins , toss them into salad , pancakes , or muffins , or sport them in your next handclasp or smoothy .
Are you a wine aficionado ? Imagine the possibilities !
As the Native Americans understand , mulberry fruits and leaves have healthful property we now know and apprize as antioxidants .
We can dry out the berries – albeit with a dehydrator – as they have long done , to avoid wasting any of our precious harvest .
100 Years of Shade
Mulberry trees render tax shelter and fruit for generation , live for 100 old age or more .
If you ’ve been considering one , it ’s clock time to make the best decision for your outdoor living blank space and your community . Just be certain to check ahead of clip whether found a mulberry is permitted in your orbit !
And for more information aboutgrowing berries in your landscape , we recommend these guides next :
© inquire the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more inside information . Originally published February 12 , 2019 by Linsey Knerl . Last update February 28 , 2025 . Product photos via Espoma and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Nan Schiller
