How To Identify a Black Berry Tree
Blackberry plants come in three different types: erect, semi-erect and trailing. Blackberry trees are actually tall shrubs. Gardeners generally have problems distinguishing blackberries from mulberries. Because both plants have similar features but different growing requirements, it is important to find out what is growing in your yard. Gardeners used to be able tell the difference between mulberry and blackberry plants by seeing if the plant had thorns. However, recent cultivating practices have made thornless blackberry cultivars available on the market. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Check the plant in the winter. Mulberry plants are deciduous trees that shed their leaves in the late fall. Blackberry plants are perennial plants that die back in the winter and come back to life in the early spring. The mulberry will have few leaves, while the blackberry will have lost only some of its leaves during dormancy.
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2
Inspect the fruit. Mulberries are large, oval in shape and turn red or purple. Blackberries are slightly smaller fruit, round and turn from dark purple to black. Likewise, mulberries are grown from small flowers without petals while blackberries grow from one single flower with petals.
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3
Pick a fruit off the tree. Mulberries easily stain hands because of their thin skins. Blackberries have thicker skins and will not stain on contact.
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4
Determine if the plant is a tree or a tall shrub. Blackberry shrubs can reach a height of six feet. Mulberry trees can grow up to 30 feet in height.
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5
Look up your hardiness zone on the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. Blackberries can be grown in Zones 7 to 9 and mulberries grow in Zone 5.
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Tips & Warnings
Purchase blackberries and mulberries from your grocery store and compare the fruit to the fruit on your plant.
Find out what kind of plant you are growing to ensure that you are giving it proper care--mulberry and blackberry plants have different requirements.
