Black Mulberry (Morus Nigra)

Very ornamental, and an ideal large shade tree which produces beautiful foliage in spring and summer, the Black Mulberry (Morus Nigra) produces sweet, flavoursome berry-like fruits that are a deep purple-red colour. They are deciduous and self-fertile.

The Mulberry was originally cultivated for food for silk worms in China and Persia, but the berry fruits have been eaten for over 3000 years at least in the middle east and silk road areas. They are best eaten fresh, but can be used for baking, wine making and to make some liqueurs. The black mulberry requires some chilling hours, but other varieties are quite temperature tolerant. They can be frost tender when very young.