The mulberry tree is an absolute favorite in the garden due to its compact growth and numerous fruits. But be careful - not all trees are the same. There are different varieties of it.
The mulberry tree, also called Morus, was cultivated and used in large numbers hundreds of years ago. On the one hand, this is due to its raspberry and blackberry-like fruits, which can be harvested in large numbers in summer, and on the other hand because of its handsome growth with a decorative canopy. The quite versatile mulberry tree is now available in many different varieties, which resulted from the breeding and crossing of the original varieties, the white and black mulberries. In the following, we report in detail which of the more than ten mulberry tree species are worth considering when buying, and which special features the variants bring with them.
Story about the mulberry tree
The mulberry tree, which belongs to the Moraceae, has a long history and is not only very interesting for hobby gardeners due to its origin and way of life. The mulberry tree was originally found in Asia, but over time it was also cultivated in large numbers in Europe. The Greeks and Romans in particular often relied on the mulberry tree, on the one hand because it was regarded as a wise man and therefore revered because of its gnarled trunk and decorative tree crown, and on the other hand because its fruits were considered a delicacy, from which one could above all he alth promised.
Among other things, the mulberry tree, especially the white mulberry, was planted as a forage plant for silkworms in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for high-quality silk. Today, many gardeners see the mulberry tree as a decorative addition to their favorite place of retreat because it provides a lot of shade and is particularly versatile: the mulberry tree can not only be shaped as you wish, but can even be used as a hedge and in this case convinces with one dense foliage. The fruits of the plant perfectly round off the overall package for many people.
3 mulberry varieties at a glance
Since the mulberry tree has adapted to different climatic conditions over the centuries, it has been crossed and bredwas established, a large number of varieties have been established during this time. There are now more than ten mulberry tree varieties that differ greatly from each other. Choosing a variety that perfectly suits your garden and your own requirements in terms of taste and color of the fruit, as well as the shape of the tree, can be difficult - not least because of the sometimes little information that can be found about the varieties of the Research the mulberry tree.
Nevertheless, here is a brief overview of the three main varieties:
» White Mulberry - Morus Alba
The white mulberry turns green like the other representatives of the mulberry trees in summer, but can reach a height of up to 16 meters. Characteristic of the tree is the high tree crown, which depending on the tree is quite narrow and has pointed leaves. Their fruits are white, but the riper they become, the yellower they can appear. It also often happens that Morus Alba bears slightly pink fruits.
The white mulberry is considered the most important representative of the Morus plants when it comes to rearing silkworms - for this reason the Morus Alba was and is very widely planted in China.
The fruits of the white mulberry are considered to be very sweet and particularly juicy, but unfortunately they don't keep very long. For this reason, white mulberries are rarely available as fruit on the market, they are more often offered as dried fruit. They are even more commonly used to make syrup or jam-like spreads. The fruits themselves ripen from June and fall off the tree quickly.
» Black Mulberry - Morus Nigra
The black mulberry has been known in Europe since 1500 and is otherwise native to Asia - however, the mulberry tree variety prefers particularly warm regions and therefore thrives better in the Mediterranean region of Europe. The deciduous tree can reach a height of up to 12 meters and is characterized, among other things, by a gnarled trunk with many thickenings. The crown of the mulberry tree is rather low and spreads out, which is why the tree can use a lot of space.
As for the black mulberry fruits, they initially appear as green balls. From July onwards, these turn a reddish hue, when they are sufficiently ripe they turn black and fall off. These fruits are also very sweet and juicy, which is why they are eaten with pleasure.
» Red Mulberry - Morus Rubra
Use the red mulberry to get onedeciduous tree that can reach a height of up to 15 meters, but rarely even 20 meters. This mulberry tree flowers from April and bears two to three centimeter long fruits from the summer, which are initially green but turn red and even purple as they mature. The red mulberry fruits are also considered to be very tasty, which is why the red mulberry is very popular as a plant. However, this mulberry tree variety prefers very moist soils, which is why it can often be found in river areas. It is particularly widespread in North America.
The red mulberries are used in many ways today: to prepare juice, jam or dried fruit, as well as to make schnapps. Since the fruits are very tasty and keep a little longer than white mulberries, they can also be added to breakfast dishes.
Worth knowing: The wood of the red mulberry is also traded as hardwood and is mainly used to make barrels for aging alcohol. It gives off a golden color to the alcohol, which is very popular.
➔ Other varieties of the mulberry tree
In addition to these three main varieties of the mulberry tree, there are many other subspecies that have special properties that make them a little more suitable for one or the other gardener. These species include:
- Morus Alba Geraldi Dwarf
- Morus Illinois Everbearing
- Morus Bombyci's Shin-Tso
The table below makes it easy to understand what special features the species of mulberry tree mentioned have and whether they are even better suited for your own garden or harvesting project than the white, black or red mulberry.
Mulberry species and their characteristics
Morus Alba Geraldi Dwarf
• known for its short stature, reaches a maximum height of two meters
• bears a lot of fruit in summer
• fruits are up to 5cm long
• black, very sweet Fruits
• young plants from the age of two years bear fruit
Morus Illinois Everbearing
• This is a cross between Morus Alba and Morus Rubra
• the fruits are considered to have the best taste ever
• the fruits ripen throughout the summer, so that high-yield harvests become possible
• the mulberry tree grows quickly and stably, but is also very resistant to frost
Morus Bombyci's Shin Tso
• this species stays quite small
• an expansive crown is developed
• the fruits offer an intensive aroma, are sweet and sour at the same time