Mulberry White (very rare albino same size fruit as black)
Mulberry Black 500mm inc Super Tube (both types grown from cuttings)
Morus spp
Form: Softwood bushy to 6 metres. Winter deciduous. Pithy wood of no value as timber.
Functions: Produces bulk leaf litter. Sheep eat leaves or allow to mulch. Nice flavoured fruit. Interplant amongst other fruit trees. Silk worms. May be suitable shade tree for some gardens. We are testing some planted on charcoal burrows, pumpkins may be planted at base and then use tree as trellis.
People: wrap chick peas in leaves and tenderise in vinegar.
Frost and Hardiness: Handles minus 10 C. Can shut down in dry times. White Mulberry in Photo 2 was declared dead end of Summer 21 yet has regrown from recent rain events of 2022.
Planting: Warm season. Maintain periodic watering first 2-4 years. Select planting sites that have no horses grazing. THIS BLACK MULBERRY was planted into a BioChar Burrow. SEE LINK to Making BioChar Simple
Product: if supplied by our Nursery during Cool Season, Seedlings may be devoid of leaves, until Spring. Black Mulberry is from Mother Tree that features in Photos 2a + 3 + 4
SUPER TUBES: Seedlings in Super Tubes are minimum 6 months old. We only produce Mulberry in Super Tubes.
Growth Rate: 4 year old trees, well watered and nourished can be 3 metres tall. Prune to slow down growth in windy locations. Easy to prune above grazing heights.
Natural Range and Soil Type: Asia. According to lore the French imported white mulberry to grow silk worms (500 years ago). Known to grow in all good soils. Need feeding if in sandy soil.
Predators: Horses, cattle and sheep will eat. Cattle and sheep will damage by rubbing until it is about 10 years old. Protect with star picket. De-lice your sheep and they cease most rubbing.
PHOTO 1: White Mulberry with fruit
PHOTO 2: White Mulberry on Edge of Waterhole. Date of Photo. Sept ’22
PHOTO 2a: Black Mulberry with new fruit in Late August 2022.
PHOTO 3: Black Mulberry pruned above grazing height of sheep in Long Yard Garden. 3.5 metres tall now in 4th Summer. Date of Photo: Oct. ’22
PHOTO 4: Prolific fruit on Black Mulberry just emerging from dormancy. Date of Photo: Last Week August 2022