Black mulberry

Black mulberry: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Broad, gnarled tree of 6–10 m with a low, rounded crown; old trees often lean.

Leaf

Alternate, 8–15 cm, broadly heart-shaped and often slightly lopsided at the base, with a coarsely toothed edge, sometimes lobed; upper side rough as sandpaper, underside hairy.

Bark

Orange-brown, rough and furrowed; old trees become gnarled and leaning.

Flower

Inconspicuous green, catkin-like flower clusters in May.

Fruit

Purplish-black, juicy mulberries (2–3 cm) in July–August; they stain badly.

Difference from white mulberry

White mulberry has smooth, glossy leaves and white to pink, insipidly sweet fruits; its leaves are food for silkworms.

Flowering: May · Harvest and fruit: July–September · Pruning: November–January

Identify by feature: Heart-shaped leaves · Lopsided leaf base · Black berries

Looks like it, but isn’t

• White mulberry (Morus alba): smooth, glossy leaves and white to pink, insipidly sweet fruits; the leaves are food for silkworms.
• Large-leaved lime Tilia platyphyllos: soft, finely toothed leaves, and nutlets on a wing instead of berries. Difference from large-leaved lime

Why grow it?

• Delicious sweet-sharp mulberries that you hardly ever find in the shops.
• A broad, gnarled tree full of character, which can live for hundreds of years.
• One tree is enough: it doesn’t need a second tree for pollination.
• Birds love the fruit.

Black mulberry: where does it grow best?

• Full sun and a warm, sheltered spot: that is where the fruit ripens best.
• Any well-drained, fertile soil that isn’t too wet.
• Allow for a crown about 8 m across: a tree for a large garden.
• Plant it in the lawn, not above a patio, drive or path: the fruit stains badly.

Light

Full sun

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Normal

Size

8 m tall, 8 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Medlar: Another old fruit tree from monastery and castle gardens; together a historic orchard.
• Quince: Another forgotten fruit for a sunny spot, with large flowers in May and fragrant fruit in autumn.
• Fig: A southerner that, like the mulberry, loves a warm, sheltered spot.

Black mulberry: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant in spring (March–April) or in autumn, container-grown or root-balled.
2. Handle the roots with care: they are fleshy and break easily.
3. Buy a grafted or cutting-raised tree: it fruits much sooner than a seedling.
4. Stake a young tree and tie it loosely.
5. Water during dry spells for the first few years.

Care

Watering

During dry spells for the first few years; an older tree only in long, dry summers while the fruit is ripening.

Feeding

A little compost in spring.

Harvesting

Mulberries don’t all ripen at once and don’t ripen after picking: pick them when black and soft, over several weeks.

Propping

Prop up old, leaning branches rather than cutting them back hard.

Tip: At harvest time, spread an old sheet under the tree and gently shake the branches: the ripe mulberries drop by themselves, without turning your fingers purple.

Black mulberry: when to prune it?

Pruning months: November–January.

When: Only when fully dormant, in November–January.

How:

• Prune little, and mainly when young: remove crossing and low-hanging branches.
• Old trees may lean; prop them up rather than cutting them back hard.
• Don’t saw off thick branches: large wounds heal slowly.

Caution: Bleeds heavily if you prune in spring or early summer.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In winter, take sturdy hardwood cuttings of 20–30 cm and push them deep into the ground or a pot; they root in the course of the year.

Layering

Bend a low branch down to the ground, nick it lightly and cover it with soil; after a year you can cut it free.

Black mulberry: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Hardy in Belgium and the Netherlands; young trees can be cut back a little by frost in harsh winters.
• It comes into leaf late in spring, so late frosts rarely harm it.
• Winter is its pruning season: only then, when fully dormant, does it not bleed.

Diseases and pests

• Birds: Blackbirds and starlings eat the ripe fruit. There is usually enough for everyone; a net over a low tree helps.
• Stains: The juicy fruit leaves purple stains on patios, cars and clothes. Plant it above grass.
• Powdery mildew: A white coating on the leaves in late summer. Usually harmless; clear up fallen leaves.
• Dying branches: Branches with small coral-pink pustules (coral spot) or sunken patches in the bark. Saw them off back into healthy wood in winter.

Through the year

• January: Prune, if fully dormant; take hardwood cuttings.
• March: Plant container-grown or root-balled trees.
• May: Late leafing and flowering.
• July: The first mulberries ripen: pick them when black and soft.
• August: Harvest time: jam, sorbet and tarts.
• October: Plant; clear up fallen leaves if there is mildew.
• November: Prune when dormant; plant.
• December: Prune; take hardwood cuttings.

What can you use it for?

Food and drink

Mulberries fresh, in jam, sorbet or tarts; pick them ripe, as they don’t ripen after picking.

For wildlife

Birds love the fruit.

Caution: The fruit stains: don’t plant it above a patio or drive.

Edible and useful

Fruit (July–September)

Mulberries do not ripen all at once and do not ripen further after picking. Pick them when they are deep purple-black and soft and almost fall off by themselves, or spread an old sheet under the tree and shake the branches gently. Delicious fresh, stirred into yoghurt, or made into jam, syrup, sorbet or tart. Wear old clothes: the juice stains badly.

Storing

Fresh mulberries keep for only a day in the fridge. They freeze well: first spread out on a tray, then in a bag. Or turn them into jam or syrup straight away.

Caution: Only eat ripe, black mulberries: unripe green or red fruit can upset your stomach. The juice leaves stubborn stains on clothes, patios and cars.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Mulberry jam (Jam · ± 4 jars of 370 ml · 45 min)
• Mulberry syrup (Syrup · ± 750 ml · 40 min + 2 hours draining)
• Mulberry crumble (Dish · serves 4–6 · 20 min + 35 min oven)
• Mulberry liqueur (Liqueur · ± 750 ml · 20 min + 6–8 weeks steeping)

Good for wildlife

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• Planted for its fruit in monastery gardens and castle grounds. A mulberry can live for hundreds of years.
• According to the Roman poet Ovid, mulberries were once white and turned dark with the blood of the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe.
• The Roman writer Pliny called the mulberry the wisest of trees: it only comes into leaf once the frosts are over.
• In the story of Pyramus and Thisbe by the Roman poet Ovid, the once-white mulberries turn dark red with the lovers’ blood.
• A mulberry looks like a blackberry but is built differently: each juicy bead developed from a separate small flower of the flower cluster.