Mulberry (Morus spp.)
Exposure: Full sun to light shade. Zone 4
Soil: Widely adapted to most soils.
Growth habits: Mulberry can either be grown as a medium shade tree, as a small tree (with annual pruning). or as a coppiced multi-stemmed large shrub for easy picking. It flowers and fruits on new growth, thus escaping spring frosts. The purple-black fruit is shaped somewhat like a blackberry, but longer and can ripen through most of the summer.
Landscape uses: Depending on pruning regimen, mulberry can be grown as a shade tree, a small tree, or a multistemmed large shrub. Its relatively coarse foliage is best used on the edge in shrub borders, screening trees, or in lawns. Keep these trees away from parked autos, decks, and paved surfaces such as walks, drives, and patios as the falling fruit or purple poop from feasting birds will stain.
Edible properties: Mulberries are slender, juicy, sweet and delicious purple-black fruit with high phytonutritional and antioxidant content due to their abundant anthocyanins. They are quite delightful to eat fresh on a hot summer day, or gather up and make into a sweet and refreshing juice. They also may be dried, fermented into mead or wine, or processed into fresh baked goods.
Available Varieties
'Illinois Everbearing' - The standard for fruiting mulberries. Extremely precocious, self-fruitful, heavy-yielding variety that bears Out of stock until June 2012
'Oscar's' - An excellent hardy, early-ripening variety. Fruit is edible in the red stage, when it has a raspberry-like flavor, or when black and ripe, when it is among the finest-flavored varieties. Out of stock
'Silk Hope' - Similar to Illinois Everbearing, but superior in size and flavor. Excellent quality with a long fruiting season. Widely adapted, tolerates drought or high humidity. North Carolina selection by A. J. Bullard. Zone 5-9. $60.00 / 5 gal Out of stock
'Weeping' (Morus alba) - Very strong weeper, needs to be staked to the desired height, then it will weep to the ground. Small sweet, black fruit in early summer. Makes a wonderful play house. Zone 4-10. $45.00 / 5 gal. Out of stock until June 2012