Botanical illustration of Mulberry Tree
🎨 AI-generated botanical illustration
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🌱 Mulberry Tree

Morus alba / Morus rubra / Morus nigra
trees deciduous fruit tree
☀️ Sun
full sun to partial shade
💧 Water
low to moderate (drought-tolerant)
🗺️ Zones
[4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
🧪 Soil pH
5.5-7.5
🪴 Soil Type
adaptable, tolerates poor soil
📏 Spacing
15-30 feet
📐 Height
20-60 feet
⏱️ Maturity
3-5 years to first fruit; 60-70 days from bloom

🍴 Edible Parts

🍽️ Fruit (fresh, jam, pie, wine, dried) 🍽️ Leaves (sole food of silkworms — traditional sericulture)

🤝 Companions (3)

🤝 Comfrey
Mines nutrients for mulberry; thrives in partial shade beneath canopy
🤝 Hosta
Shade-tolerant ornamental beneath mulberry; both enjoy moist, rich soil
🤝 currant/gooseberry
Shade-tolerant fruit bushes beneath mulberry canopy

⚠️ Keep Apart (1)

⚠️ none significant — but aggressive surface roots compete with shallow-rooted vegetables; give 10+ feet clearance

📝 Growing Notes

Prolific sweet berries resembling elongated blackberries. White, red, or black varieties — black (Morus nigra) has best flavor. Extremely fast-growing. Birds adore them — plant AWAY from patios and cars (purple droppings stain). Deep root system — excellent for erosion control.

🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Johnny's Selected Seeds Botanical Interests True Leaf Market Burpee Territorial Seed Company

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