Side by side
White mulberry or black mulberry? How to tell them apart
Morus alba · Morus nigra
You can tell a white mulberry by its glossy, smooth, often irregularly lobed leaves and its white, pink or purple fruit that is sweet but bland; a black mulberry has leaves as rough as sandpaper with a heart-shaped base, and purple-black, sweet-sharp mulberries on very short stalks.
Run your hand over the top of a leaf: rough as sandpaper on the black mulberry, smooth and glossy on the white. The black mulberry has broadly heart-shaped leaves, often slightly lopsided at the base; the white has oval to heart-shaped leaves that are irregularly lobed, especially on young trees and shoots. The colour of the fruit does not tell you everything: the white mulberry can bear purple-black fruit too.
.JPG){kind=link}
| White mulberry | Black mulberry | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 6–15 cm, ovate to heart-shaped, toothed, glossy and smooth (not rough); irregularly lobed especially on young trees and shoots. White milky sap. | 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. |
| Flowering | Inconspicuous green, catkin-like flower clusters in May (May). | Inconspicuous green, catkin-like flower clusters in May (May). |
| Fruit | White, pink or purple-black mulberries (1–2.5 cm) on a short stalk, June–August; sweet but bland. | Purplish-black, juicy mulberries (2–3 cm) in July–August; they stain badly. |
| Bark | Light brown to grey, shallowly furrowed, with orange-tinged fissures. | Orange-brown, rough and furrowed; old trees become gnarled and leaning. |
| Shape and height | Fruit tree, 8–15 m | Fruit tree, 6–10 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–January | November–January |
The best feature in each season
- Spring
- Both flower in May with inconspicuous, green, catkin-like flower heads. The young leaves of the white mulberry are the food of the silkworm.
- Summer
- The white mulberry bears white, pink or purple-black mulberries on short stalks from June to August; the black mulberry has larger (2–3 cm), juicy, purple-black fruit in July–August that stains badly.
- Autumn
- After the harvest, the leaf remains the best feature. The white mulberry grows faster and, at 8–15 m, also taller than the black, which stays at 6–10 m.
- Winter
- Look at the bark and shape: light brown to grey with orange-tinged furrows and a broad, rounded crown on the white mulberry; orange-brown, rough and often gnarled and leaning on an old black mulberry.
Where do they grow?
The white mulberry comes from China and was planted all over Europe for silk production. The black mulberry comes from south-west Asia and has grown for centuries in monastery gardens and castle parks, for its fruit.
Which one for your garden?
- Choose the black mulberry for the tastiest fruit: one tree is enough, it grows slowly and can live for hundreds of years. The white mulberry is hardier, grows faster and tolerates training as a roof-shaped or espalier tree.
- Plant neither of them above a patio, driveway or path: the dark fruit leaves stubborn stains. Birds love the fruit of both.
Did you know? The silkworm feeds almost only on the leaves of the white mulberry; that is why this tree was planted all over Europe for centuries.
Read on
- Plant profile: White mulberry
- Plant profile: Black mulberry
- White mulberry: when and how to prune
- Black mulberry: when and how to prune
- Identification key