Pick baskets full of large, sweet, black mulberries! These naturally semi-dwarf-sized trees will keep you in fruit for fresh eating, jam, and wine. Berries freeze well. Not to be confused with the invasive white mulberry or the native red, black mulberries have the largest, tastiest fruit. You won’t find black mulberries in grocery stores because they do not transport well, so homegrown is the best way to get your hands on this delicious fruit. The easiest way to collect berries is by placing a tarp on the ground under the tree to catch the freshly fallen fruit.
The easiest fruit tree to grow, mulberries prefer heavy soil and can achieve a lifespan of a hundred years or more. Their storied past goes back centuries, and even Shakespeare wrote about them. They’re an old world garden staple with a surprising lack of cultivar development despite their long history in cultivation.
Grow it as a multi-stemmed bush or train it into a small ornamental tree form. Trees may be kept as small as 2-6′ tall by pruning after fruiting and can be grown in containers or pruned in bonsai. Self-pollinating.