Mulberry trees ( botanic nameMorus ) are popular decorative spook trees that produce delicious edible snowy , red , or mordant berries . unremarkably called mulberry , the medium - sized , berry - producing Tree have attractive heart - shaped leave of absence , spike of tiny whitened flowers ( catkins ) , and thick grayish - brown bark . The mutual species of mulberry trees are red mulberry , ashen mulberry tree , and black mulberry tree .

Mulberry tree are popular in garden landscape because they are attractive trees , easy to grow , and create deliciously sweet berries . The common mulberry thrives in USDA zone 4 through 9 , full to fond sun , and well - drained dirt . In addition , the mulberry tree tree is relatively resistant to pests and disease .

How can you identify mulberry trees in a landscape ? Why are mulberries popular residential garden trees ? This guide to mulberry trees answers question relating to mulberry recognition and how to grow this ornamental tree .

Common Types of Mulberry (Morus)

There are three principal specie of mulberry trees , generally describe by their yield colour , folio shape , and bark . to boot , there are many mulberry cultivar , such as the crying mulberry tree tree , fruitless mulberry tree , and gnome mulberry tree tree .

Here are abbreviated descriptions of the most common mulberry trees :

crimson mulberry tree ( Morus rubra):This species of mulberry tree is native to North America . It grows in moist , deep , well - run out grunge . The red mulberry has a rounded crown , a short automobile trunk , minor white spring flowers , sweet , juicy red or black berries , and leaves of varying shapes .

White mulberry ( genus Morus alba):This mulberry coinage is aboriginal to the Far East but is popular in Europe and North America . The blackberry - like comestible fruits are blanched when unripened and ferment pink or purple as they ripen . The white mulberry tree hasheart - shaped , toothed leaves .

Black mulberry tree ( Morus nigra):The black mulberry is a deciduous , average - sized , tight - growing tree with ticker - shaped serrated leaves with tasty mulberry tree berries .

About Mulberry Trees

former mulberry tree

Mulberry is a specie ofdeciduous treein the genusMorusand woody plant life familyMoraceae . mulberry areberry - producing treesthat have a fast growth rate and are easy to grow in most environments .

The mature sizing of mulberries depends on the species . White mulberry tree is the marvelous at 80 foot . ( 24 m ) , and the vulgar red mulberry tree grows up to 70 ft . ( 21 m ) . The black mulberry is the smallest species , with a superlative of around 30 ft . ( 9 m ) .

For a smaller garden tree diagram , the gnome mulberry is ideal for container , and the bushy industrial plant grows 2 to 6 ft . ( 0.6 – 1.8 m ) magniloquent .

Apart from its decorative value , a mulberry tree is prized for its angelic , tasty fruit . The mulberry berry expect like elongate blackberry . The berries from carmine and grim mulberries are sweeter than thewhite mulberries . However , black mulberry tree lean to succumb to drought or frost damage easier . Because these indulgent mulberry fruit do n’t travel well , you seldom find mulberry Berry in fund .

Many hoi polloi call up the puerility song “ All Around the Mulberry Bush , ” where the scamp chased the weasel . However , no works is classified as a mulberry tree George Walker Bush . Only the dwarf mulberry tree is asmall treewith George W. Bush - like emergence . Or you could cut back a disgraceful mulberry tree to raise like a bush .

How to Care for Mulberry Trees

Grow mulberry trees in full sun and prolific , humous - rich stain that drain well . Ideally , flora mulberries 15 ft . ( 5 m ) apart to take into account for their large spread . Also , ensure the planting location is cryptic enough as mulberry trees have a deep etymon system that is first-class for corrosion control .

Mulberries conform well to most soil types .

Mulberry Leaf

Mulberry leaf

Mulberry tree farewell are large , broad cordate ( middle - shaped ) bequeath with serrated margins . The simple mulberry folio grow alternately on branches and measure between 3 ” and 6 ” ( 7.5 – 15 centimetre ) long and 2 ” to 4 ” ( 5 – 10 centimeter ) wide . In the descent , the green foliage wrench prosperous white-livered before the leaves deteriorate .

An strange feature of some mulberry tree tree metal money is that allow on a single tree can have unlike shapes . For case , cherry-red mulberry and black mulberry tree leaves can have two to three deep lobes or none . Some leaves may resemblemapleorsycamore tree diagram leaves , and others have a single lobe on one side of the blade .

Mulberry Fruit (Mulberry Berries)

Mulberry fruits are Chuck Berry - similar drupes

Mulberry Berry are drupe that reckon like retentive blackberries . The ripe Shirley Temple Black , imperial , or redberry - like drupesgrow between 1 ” and 3 ” ( 2.5 – 7.5 cm ) long . The lusciously tasty Berry ripen in summer and drop to the ground as they are ready for eating .

If you have a mulberry tree tree diagram maturate in your backyard , you will get tons of berries from the tree . The berries can be eaten unused , and are desirable for making jellies , jams , Proto-Indo European , or tarts . to boot , the white , red , and black-market mulberry berry attract plenty of birds to your summer garden .

One issue with berries falling from mulberry Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is that they can cause a mess . If you want to implant a mulberry tree tree diagram , do n’t plant it near sidewalks or driveways . However , you could grow a vain mulberry tree tree that is n’t messy because it does n’t raise efflorescence or yield .

Mulberry Flower

Mulberry female flowers ( allow ) and male bloom ( right )

mulberry tree tree flowers are peanut clusters of tiny white or fleeceable flower growing on a short spike heel or ament . mulberry tree trees bloom in spring and are modest spiky flower clusters . Male flowers are narrow and long . manly and distaff flowers can develop on a individual mulberry tree tree , or a tree can bear only male or distaff flowers , however only female flowers produce fruit .

After blooming in May , mulberry flowers develop into a cluster of tiny , seeded yield that make up the Berry .

Mulberry Identification

Identifying mulberry trees is by their folio , circularize , fruit , and barque . mulberry tree leaves are distinguish by their heart human body with serrated boundary and a pointed top . A recognizable feature of mulberries is their carmine , purple , blanched , orblack berries . In landscapes , mulberry tree are the last trees to produce leaves .

Types of Mulberry Trees

Let ’s look in detail at six common types of mulberry tree . As well as the rough-cut mulberry — red , whitened , and black varieties — we’ll look at some vulgar cultivars for planting in your backyard .

White Mulberry (Morus alba)

White mulberry tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ( Morus alba )

The white mulberry tree is a tight - originate deciduous Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . It is identify by glossy dreary - green tooth - edged leave-taking , small fleeceable blossom spikes , sweet Chuck Berry - like fruits , and dreary browned furrowed bark . White mulberrieshave a wide - spread out rounded , unorthodox jacket crown that can be as encompassing as the tree is marvellous .

The white mulberry boom in USDA geographical zone 4 through 8 in full Lord’s Day . The hardy tree produce between 30 and 50 ft . ( 9 – 15 molarity ) tall and all-encompassing and is ideal as a spectre Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree thanks to its big - leaf foliage . The tree raise well in landscapes ; however , it can be mussy and does n’t have much ornamental economic value .

Other uses for a snowy mulberry tree tree in a prominent front or backyard include a shelterbelt , grease erosion control , or grow for its fruit .

The white mulberry also has the name wild wilkworm mulberry . This name comes from its aboriginal China , where it was cultivated to nourish wild wilkworm . It is also called the vulgar mulberry tree ; however , that name ordinarily look up to the crimson mulberry coinage .

The name white mulberry does n’t touch to the semblance of its edible Berry . The stone fruit can be blanched , pink , dark cerise , or cryptical royal colour .

There are a few direction to tell snowy mulberries apart from pitch-dark and cerise mulberries . First , leave on white mulberries are glossier than red mulberries . In addition , the yield is sweet but miss the loudness of black and red mulberry .

Mulberry leaves : ashen mulberry leaves are heart - shaped with serrated , uneven margins . The leaves produce up to 8 ” ( 20 cm ) long and may have two or three unpredictable lobes . In the dip , the mulberry tree leave turn an unattractive yellowness or light-headed dark-brown color .

ashen mulberry leafage

Mulberry fruit : livid mulberry tree fruits are small and eatable , about 1 - inch ( 2.5 cm ) long . They ripen in the summer , change vividness from pink to Red River , and then to purple - smutty . Unlike the copious black and reddish mulberries , white mulberries have a milder , less vivid flavor .

White mulberries mature to pink , red or imperial - disastrous fruits

Mulberry flush : manly and female flowers are called catkins . manlike ament are yellowish - green and mensuration ¾ – 2 inches long ( 2 – 5 centimeter ) . Female catkins are green with whitened ‘ pilus ’ , shorter and more ellipse .

lily-white mulberry distaff flowers

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)

cherry-red mulberry tree diagram ( genus Morus rubra )

The red mulberry tree is a medium - sized deciduous tree native to North America . Also call common mulberry tree , the tree is identified by ovate - regulate dark - light-green lobate leaves , sweet eatable berries , small cylindrical dark-green flush , and fluent crimson - brown bark . In landscapes , you could spot the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree by its broad rounded treetop .

violent mulberry tree trees boom in full sun but also develop well in fond ghost . desirable for USDA geographical zone 4 to 8 , the hardy tree is famed for its scrumptious soft fruits that are extremely fresh and tasty . Thanks to its flowers and yield , the mulberry tree attractsbutterflies , birds , and other wildlife .

reddened mulberry tree heyday are unimportant greenish ament that bloom from April to May . The small cannular bloom grow up to 1 ” ( 2.5 atomic number 96 ) long but are hard to spot among the prominent , tolerant leaves .

reddish mulberry bark is smooth and dark brown to grim gray . The tree bark can grow shallow ridgeline that have a reddish color . branch and stems tend to be reddish - brown .

An identifying feature of speech of the red mulberry is the outstandingly shaped leaves . Red mulberry leaves are by and large heart - form with a rounded base . However , leaves can have several mysterious lobes , give the greenish vane an uneven appearance . Leaves can look like simplebirch treeleaves with a pointed tip or have deeply lobed leaveslike a maple tree .

Mulberry leave : Red mulberry Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree leaf are cordate shaped with finely - toothed margins . Leaves can have several lobe or have no lobes , and they tend to be slightly hairy . Red mulberry leaves produce 6 ” ( 15 cm ) long and 3 ” to 6 ” ( 7.5 – 15 cm ) wide .

Red mulberry leaves

Mulberry yield : Red mulberry tree berries are sweet and juicy and bet like oversized blackberry . The mulberry fruits mature in summer and are glowering purple when ready for eating .

Red mulberry yield

Black Mulberry (Morus Nigra)

Black Mulberry tree ( Morus nigra )

The disgraceful mulberry is the smallest of the usual mulberry tree tree . disastrous mulberry in landscape are identified by pointed ovate glum - green leaves , greenish flowers , and ruddy , white , or disastrous fruit . From the mulberry species , the disastrous mulberry tree is the one that has the bushy growth .

The ignominious mulberry tree get in USDA geographical zone 5 through 9 and grows best in full sun . Unlike the other common mulberries , the black mulberry does n’t tolerate too much nicety or extremely cold conditions .

Black mulberry flowers are invisible catkins consisting of small tubular white flowers . The mulberry tree tree bloom in spring . After blooming , the tasty edible berries appear and ripen during summertime .

Black mulberry female flush ( pass on ) and male flowers ( right )

black-market mulberry tree barque is a lightsome - dark-brown color with narrow fissures on it . You may find that in prison term the bole develop gnarl and enceinte burrs . The interesting barque texture gives the opprobrious mulberry tree sight of winter ingathering after the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree drops its leafage .

mulberry tree leaves : Black mulberry Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree leaves are broad , simple , attractive leaves that originate 4 ” to 8 ” ( 10 – 20 cm ) long and up to 4 ” ( 10 cm ) broad . The leaves of mulberry tree leaves are identified by a rough texture , stiff hair , and fine serrated allowance .

Black mulberry tree foliage

Mulberry fruit : Black mulberry tree diagram berries are clustering of small pitch-dark drupe that valuate 1.2 ” ( 3 curium ) long . The richly flavored diffused , toothsome fruits taste like red mulberry tree berries .

pitch-black mulberry tree yield

Weeping Mulberry (Morus alba‘Chaparral’ andMorus alba‘Pendula’)

crying mulberry tree ( Morus alba ‘ Pendula ’ )

Weeping mulberry tree trees are graceful landscaping Tree with arching branches that droop to the dry land . The weeping mulberry tree has a keen , rounded crown , small yellowish - green flowers , heart - shaped leaves , and angelic edible blanched or pink fruits . Weeping mulberries are suitable for little garden or as a specimen plant .

Because most crying mulberry are cultivars ofMorus alba , they have the same leaf , bark , and yield recognition machine characteristic as white mulberries . The only dispute is their weeping growth and shorter growth height .

Here are the two crying mulberry cultivar of the white mulberryMorus alba :

Morus alba ‘ Chaparral’is a fruitless crying mulberry Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with a rounded , spreading canopy and drooping outgrowth . This mulberry tree cultivar grows 6 to 8 foot . ( 1.8 – 2.4 m ) tall and up to 12 ft . ( 3.6 m ) widely . This tree produces yellowish - fleeceable virile ament that do n’t accept fruits .

Morus alba ‘ Pendula’is a fruiting weeping mulberry tree diagram with the characteristic angelical blackberry - corresponding white , scarlet , or imperial fruits and glistening dark - green pointed ovate leaves . The weeping mulberry tree ‘ Pendula ’ rise 6 to 10 foot . ( 1.8 – 3 m ) improbable and up to 12 ft . ( 3.6 m ) astray .

Mulberry leaves : Weeping mulberry tree leaves have serrate spotty margins and unremarkably two to three lobe . The rounded leaves have a pointed bakshish and lustrous gullible refulgence .

Mulberry yield : Weeping mulberry tree diagram Charles Edward Berry are sweetened , cylindrical drupes up to 1 ” ( 2.5 cm ) long . The white , pink , blood-red , or black berries have a sweet-flavored gustatory modality but lack the intensiveness of black or red mulberry tree fruit .

Fruitless Mulberry (Morus alba‘Fruitless’)

vain mulberry tree ( Morus alba ‘ Fruitless ’ )

Fruitless mulberry tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree have broad , heart - mould point , glossy green leaves , light orange - brown bark , and small greenish efflorescence clump . vain mulberry are idealistic for landscaping as they are easy to grow , require petty pruning , and do n’t produce messy fruit . Additionally , futile mulberry tree are less trespassing than the fruiting change .

If you ’re take care for an ornamental landscaping mulberry tree tree that ’s not mussy , then theMorus alba‘Fruitless ’ cultivar is idealistic . This non - messy mulberry tree grows 20 to 60 foot . ( 6 – 18 m ) and up to 54 ft . ( 14 m ) wide .

Here are some suitable mulberry cultivars that do n’t produce berries :

Morus alba ‘ Fegyverneken ’

Dwarf Mulberry Tree

Mulberry ( Morus alba ) bonsai Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree

The midget mulberry Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is a bush - like tree that grows well in containers and garden landscapes . Like most mulberries , the dwarf variety has leathery gullible leaf , dark ruby or smuggled summer fruit , and smooth browned or gray bark . A dwarf mulberry can be a multi - cauline shrub - like tree or a single - stem specimen tree .

Dwarf mulberries are suitable for mature in containers . Growing in weed and with the right pruning , a small mulberry grows 2 to 6 foot . ( 0.6 – 1.8 m ) tall . Grow in a well - draining potting mix and full sun .

Another case of dwarf mulberry Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that is shortsighted than a traditional mulberry is the everbearing mulberry . The nanus miscellanea grows between 10 and 15 foot . ( 3 – 4.5 m ) improbable and up to 20 foot . ( 6 m ) wide . Like all mulberries , the gnome everbearing mulberry has risque crimson or black yield .

Miniature mulberry trees also grow as spectacular bonsai Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Mulberry bonsai tree have characteristic knotty trunks , small pointed ovate leaves , and bring forth average - sized fruits .

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