Mulberry Tree: How to Care for Mulberry Trees

A mulberry tree (Morus spp.) is a deciduous tree that grows in temperate climates worldwide. There are many varieties, cultivars, and hybrids of mulberry trees, and these fast-growing trees can be invasive in some areas. Mulberry trees produce small, oblong, edible berries that range from white, pink, red, lavender, and black.

Many varieties and cultivars of mulberry trees are available to arborists and gardeners. Below are some of the most common types of Mulberry trees:

1. 1. Black mulberry trees (Morus nigra): Black mulberry trees average forty feet tall and feature dark purple or nearly black berries that are quite large when ripe. Black mulberries are the most flavorful kind of mulberries. Native to western Asia, these fruit trees are an invasive species in the United States.
2. 2. Red mulberry tree (Morus rubra): Native to North America, red mulberries thrive in deep, rich soils along bottomlands and streams. The ripe fruits range in color from dark purple to red, but are green when they first appear. It’s often challenging to find red mulberry trees in the nursery trade.
3. 3. Texas mulberry tree (Morus celtidifolia): Texas mulberry trees are native to the Southwest and appear shrub-like, growing to a maximum height of twenty-five feet. The edible fruits are purple, red, or black. Texas mulberries can attract wildlife to your landscape, especially birds.
4. 4. White mulberry tree (Morus alba): This is one of the most common mulberry trees in the United States. It features white, blackberry-shaped fruits. The white mulberry leaves are the sole food source of silkworms, making these trees integral to the silk industry.White mulberry trees came to the US from China, introduced into colonial United States for silkworm production. White mulberries have since naturalized and hybridized with the native red mulberry.

Mulberry trees can be grown from seed, root cuttings, or potted young trees. When deciding where and when to plant a mulberry tree, consider the following:

• Climate: Mulberries grow worldwide, known for their general hardiness and adaptability. These fruit-bearing trees grow best in full sun to partial shade and thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 5–8.
• Location: Once established, a mulberry tree produces bountiful volumes of berries, and this fruit can stain asphalt and concrete. For this reason, it’s best to plant the tree somewhere where excess fruit won’t be an issue.
• Season: It’s best to plant mulberry trees in early spring or fall when the weather is cool but not too cold. With steady wind, it’s a good idea to stake the trees, using rubber straps, to keep them from growing crooked. You can remove these braces once the tree is well-established, usually after the first year.
• Soil: Mulberries grow best in moist, well-draining soil that isn’t too cold. Some varieties can adapt well to dry and sandy soil, but the planting soil should generally be loamy, with a pH of 5.0–7.0.

Gardeners and homeowners favor mulberry trees for their hardiness and independence. Once established, these trees require little maintenance. Follow these steps to care for your tree:

• Watering: It’s good to irrigate young mulberry trees. Give them approximately thirty liters of water every two to four weeks in non-rainy periods for the first few years. You can also mulch around the tree's base to help the tree retain moisture. Once the tree establishes, you do not need to give it additional watering.
• Feeding: Compost can help young mulberry trees grow. Add approximately twenty to thirty liters of compost around the tree’s base for the first two years.
• Pruning: Mulberries have thick, dense crowns, and some pruning can help keep them looking neat and encourage a broader, more robust crown shape. It’s good to cut unwanted branches off as close as possible to the trunk or cut the larger stem they’re growing from to prevent more dense sprouting from the stub.
• Harvesting: In the summer season, mulberry trees produce fruit for as long as eight weeks, providing home preservers with mulberries for jams, jellies, pies, and other dishes. Once ripe, the berries are pretty fragile; you should pluck from the branches rather than harvest them from the ground under the tree.

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