Mulberry Trees

About 5 years ago, Michael found the first of many mulberry trees on the property. Since then, we have walked the property searching for additional trees. We have found plenty of them - from mature to sapling size! We have pulled out stronger saplings and replanted them in the orchard area. We plan to slowly expand the orchard area for the mulberries in the coming years.

Did you know that white mulberries (Morus alba) are invasive and are hybridizing with the red mulberries (Morus rubra)? The Morus alba is native to China and is traditionally a silkworm host tree. Did you know that there was once a law in 1624, in Virginia, that "every male resident" was to plant at least four white mulberry trees to assist in the silk industry? While a Morus alba is referred to as a white mulberry, the fruit of the tree does not have to be white but may range from a cream color to a purple color.

When we found the trees, we conducted a quick search to find out more about these trees. The timing was perfect as we found that there was a study to identify existing true red mulberry (Morus rubra) trees! While we thought that the trees that we located were, in fact, true red mulberries, we were excited to find out with certainty.

We joined the study, submitted a sampling from a tree, and impatiently waited for the study results. The study confirmed that we had Morus rubra trees! Check out the published study for more information. Additional research is being conducted now to enhance the DNA library with a morphological assessment of the trees from the study. We will provide an update once we receive the assessments from the trees that we submitted samples for.

We would like to help individuals obtain their own Morus rubra. However, please remember that we are learning as we go. We are not arborists, foresters, or horticulturists - we simply see the value and importance in preserving these wonderful trees.

We can provide cuttings or saplings, during the appropriate time, to a select few individuals each year. In the years to come, as we grow the orchard, we may be able to assist a larger number of individuals but we will never be a nursery or tree farm. We will simply try to save the Morus Rubra one tree at a time.

If you are looking to determine if you have a red or a white or a hybrid, we suggest searching for YouTube videos. You will be able to find videos that show the differences between the red and white and a description of a hybrid.