Soil for Planting Weeping Mulberry Trees

Mulberries may be sweet or sweet-tart and come in a variety of colors.

Native to China, weeping mulberry (Morus alba) is an ornamental tree with, as the name implies, pendulous, drooping branches. The tree can be invasive in some areas and messy when the berries fall. Birds and other wildlife find the fruit irresistible. Morus alba Pendula, a dwarf with branches that droop to the ground, is the most commonly cultivated variety.

Description

Weeping mulberries have dark green leaves that may be serrated or smooth, maple-like or lobe-less, depending upon the variety. Trees can grow up to 50 feet tall with a 50-foot spread. Pendula, a dwarf, only grows 6 to 10 feet tall with a similar spread. The tree's crown is rounded and the branches may be slightly gnarled. Mulberry fruit resembles an elongated blackberry and may be white, red, pink or dark purple. Fruits generally appear in midsummer. While most varieties produce berries about 1 inch long, some hybrids produce fruits up to 3 inches long.

Cultivation

Mulberries are hardy in United States Department of Agriculture planting zones 5 to 8 and warmer parts of zone 4. Plant trees at least 15 feet apart, preferably in full sun, though the trees can tolerate light shade. Keep the trees away from driveways, patios and sidewalks to avoid staining from fallen fruit. Mulberries prefer well-drained soil with a pH of 5.1 to 6.5. Deep, loamy soils are ideal for growing weeping mulberries. The trees will also grow in clay or sandy soils, but if the soil is too heavy, mix some organic matter into the dirt before planting. The trees tolerate some drought, salt and pollution.

Varieties

Some varieties of weeping mulberry do not bear fruit. Mapleleaf, Laciniata and Fruitless are male varieties that grow about 40 feet tall with a rounded spread of 40 feet. Nuclear Blast is a showier variety of shrubby weeping mulberry with ribbon-like leaves and twisted branches. Growing only 1 to 3 feet tall, Nuclear Blast is fruitless. Pandora's Box is a dwarf, gnarled mulberry that weeps to the ground and bears black fruit. The dwarf weeping mulberry, Pendula, is the most common variety. Urbana is similar but does not fruit.

Considerations

The female variety of weeping mulberry produces no pollen to irritate hay fever and asthma sufferers. Juice from the berries can stain hands and clothes.

Mulberries may be eaten fresh off the tree, mixed with other fruits in salads or cooked into desserts or as a sauce. Some gardeners harvest mulberries for wine.

References

• Missouri Botanical Garden; Morus Alba Pendula
• University of Connecticut; Morus Alba
• Texas A&M University; Ornamental Plants for the Rio Grande Valley
• "Mother Earth News"; Sneeze-Free Trees; 2002
• Learn2Grow; Morus Alba Chaparral

Resources

• California Rare Fruit Growers; Mulberry Fruit Facts; 1997
• Perdue University; Morus Alba L.; James A. Duke; 1983
• The U.S. National Arboretum; USDA Plant Hardiness Zones