MORUS ALBA – MULBERRY, WHITE

White Mulberry is sometimes planted for the quick shade it provides but it use should be tempered by the messy fruits that develop. It is considered a junk-yard-dog tree. For this reason, it is essential that you choose fruitless cultivars available at your local nursery. The tree grows best in full sun or partial shade on just about any soil. It has naturalized in many parts of the world. It tolerates air pollution and dry conditions, but performs best on moist soils. If you have a Mulberry that produces fruit, it can be quite messy as illustrated by the picture showing the fruit stains on a sidewalk.

The fruitless Mulberries are used in the lower plains, the southwest, and in other regions for quick shade. They can be used near a patio or other area where dense shade is desired. Some leaves drop in summer heat and drought. Pollen produced from the fruitless cultivars (the male trees) causes allergies in many people so there are communities that have banned them. Females do not produce pollen but they produce the messy fruit.

The wood is considered ring porous. Foliage summer nitrogen content on established trees in irrigated landscapes in California ranged from 2.0-3.6 percent.

 

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