Morus nigra
Black mulberry, Oriental mulberry, mulberry with black fruit: not to be confused with the white mulberry, the one associated with silkworms. Cultivated since Antiquity for its juicy, slightly tart fruit, it has a reputation for being the wisest of trees: it only breaks dormancy once all risk of frost has passed, which earned it the nickname of the most cautious tree among the Romans.
Characteristics:
-
Exceptional longevity: it can live for more than a hundred years and develops a very picturesque, twisted form with age.
-
Medium size: 5 to 10 metres depending on conditions, with a spreading habit and dense foliage.
-
Summer fruiting: purplish-black mulberries in July–August, following discreet spring flowering.
Precautions:
- Its fruit permanently stains clothing and paving: avoid planting it above a light-coloured terrace or walkway.
- Patience is required: a mulberry grown from seed generally takes several years before fruiting.
Sowing advice:
-
Position: full sun or partial shade, sheltered from cold winds.
-
Soil: rich, cool, deep, slightly calcareous to neutral, and well drained. It does not tolerate acidic soils or stagnant moisture well. Adding compost at planting supports its growth.
-
Method: 6 to 8 weeks of cold stratification is recommended. Then sow 1 cm deep in a moist, well-drained growing medium, kept between 18 and 22 °C. Allow 4 to 8 weeks for germination.
Planting advice:
- Transplant it while young to its permanent position, allowing room for its spreading crown. It does not tolerate late transplantation well.
Care advice:
- Water regularly during the first year; afterward, the tree becomes highly drought-resistant. Hardy down to -20 °C.
- Prune as little as possible, and only in late summer: the mulberry bleeds heavily if pruned in spring.
Harvesting advice:
- The mulberries ripen gradually and detach at the slightest touch: spread a sheet on the ground and gently shake the branches, the most effective traditional method.
Beneficial companion plants:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its fruit is a feast for birds in midsummer: blackbirds, thrushes, and warblers flock to it, making it an excellent “diversion” tree for protecting your other small fruits.
- Its dense crown provides shelter and nesting sites, while its leaf litter nourishes soil life — see the basics of living soil.
Uses:
- Delicious fresh fruit, or used in jam, syrup, wine, or dried. An excellent food-producing tree for a permaculture orchard, with genuine ornamental value as an added benefit.
Symbolism:
The black mulberry symbolises wisdom, patience, and abundance. Planted in many monasteries and royal gardens throughout Europe, it also embodies the ancient memory of these places.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Crush very ripe mulberries in a little water, leave them to macerate for a few days, then rinse thoroughly: the tiny seeds will separate from the pulp. Dry them before winter stratification. See how to store your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment whatsoever. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to sow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Sales reserved for amateur gardeners seeking quality and authenticity.
