Here we go round the mulberry bush, mulberry bush, mulberry bush
Here we go round the mulberry bush, so early in the morning.
I grew up singing this English nursery rhyme, and even though it is mainly about accomplishing the day’s tasks, I probably wouldn’t even give the tree a second thought had I not been singing about it from such an early age.
While patronizing a local business a few days ago, I happened to glance over and notice a tree growing next to the building hanging heavy with fruit. I couldn’t believe my eyes, and as I went over to investigate, I was astonished to see that it was a mulberry tree. I stuffed a huge handful of the purple fruit into my mouth and headed back into the store to ask the owner if I could harvest some of the berries. I love wild edibles and mulberries are something I haven’t had a chance to experiment with. Yet there was more to this story to unfold.
Invasive
Since I’ve been thinking seriously about planting some sort of tree that caters to wildlife in one of my open meadows, I immediately decided I just had to have one of these. I went home that day and jumped on the phone, calling local nurseries to see if they had them in stock. No luck. No one had them. Finally, someone on the other end of the line gave me an interesting answer: “The Division of Wildlife highly discourages nurseries and garden centers from selling mulberry trees because they are an invasive, non-native tree from China.” Well, I had my answer, sort of. I knew that here in northeast Ohio, native mulberries are scarce, as we are just on the border of their range. But I just didn’t know enough about the species to realize that we have one listed as a non-native, invasive in our area.
Red mulberry (Morus rubra) is our native species. However, most people don’t even notice it or know that it exists. That’s because it is extremely uncommon, rarely found outside the protective canopy of the forest. It is a shade-loving tree, typically found in the understory and rarely attaining heights higher than 60 feet. Preferring mature, moist woodlands, it can be found growing on wooded slopes and along the edges of the forest.
White mulberry (Morus alba) is a non-native species that originated in China. Cultivated there as a host plant for the silkworm caterpillars, whose prized silk was used in the production of fine fabric, the tree was introduced to New York in 1827 in a failed attempt to continue the industry in North America. In sharp contrast to its native cousin, the white mulberry abhors shade, thriving in sunny, disturbed settings such as urban areas, overgrown fields and fence rows. It is much smaller than the red mulberry, barely reaching heights of 40 feet.
Differences
Although there are several different factors to consider when attempting to differentiate between the two species up close, a couple of characteristics tend to stand out above the rest. Although both trees sport leaves that occur in several different shapes, those of the white mulberry are a brighter green and shiny, compared to the darker, lackluster finish of the red mulberry. Perhaps the best way to tell the two apart is during the time that they are fruiting in mid-June through August. Contrary to its name, the white mulberry not only produces berries that are white but also red and purple. These multicolor fruits are produced in large clusters along the branches, falling off easily when disturbed and building up in measurable quantities beneath the tree. In contrast, each red mulberry fruit is produced singly along the twigs. The berries are larger and sweeter than those of the white mulberry and are always a deep black color when ripe. Because our native mulberries produce fewer berries, there is seldom a build-up of wasted fruit on the ground below.
Unfortunately, as an invasive species, the white mulberry has not only invaded available habitats, it has also invaded the gene pool, often hybridizing with our less common, native species, resulting in trees that are difficult to identify and categorize.
As I harvested fruit from the white mulberry tree I had discovered, I couldn’t help but notice the commotion as a number of bird species gorged on the bounty above me. Being an avid birder, I had to take time out to step back and observe just how many different ones were dining at the location. American robins, cedar waxwings, eastern bluebirds, northern cardinals, American goldfinches and gray catbirds were all taking part in the feast, adorning the branches like ornaments on a Christmas tree. I could tell that a crow, vocalizing from a nearby location, was telling me to hurry it up so that it could take a turn as well. The number of berries covering the ground below was notable. Surely other animals take advantage of these easy pickings beneath.
Mulberries
Like blackberries, mulberries are made up of a group of tiny globules called drupelets, at the center of each is a seed. When birds and other mammals consume the berries, the sweet, pulpy material is easily digested, leaving the seeds. As the animals travel along, these seeds eventually pass through their digestive systems and are expelled as excrement. Birds are especially effective at spreading seeds due to their ability to fly long distances. If the seeds happen to land in a favorable location, they may eventually germinate, sprouting new trees.
The list of health benefits from mulberries is a long one. Mulberries are a superfood loaded with iron, protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin C and antioxidants. After collecting several quarts of fruit from the newly discovered white mulberry tree, I decided that my best option would be to make syrup. I reviewed several recipes online until I found one that I liked and went to work. The result was absolutely delicious over ice cream and I have plans to use it in a recipe for homemade sorbet to help me through the upcoming heat wave.
Alas, I won’t be planting a white mulberry tree. I’m sticking to my guns to prevent the spread of invasive species. In fact, I am going to do my best to prevent further spread by continuing to harvest berries from the trees I discover in the future. Heck, every berry that I consume is one less that the birds will be able to spread across the countryside. Don’t you agree? (Wink, wink.)
