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Mulberry

RANGE:

U.S., British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec

HABITAT:

Thrives along moist woodland edges and streams, in floodplains and pastures, and along fencerows. It is commonly seen in cities, often along property lines.

POSITIVE ID:

• Each mulberry fruit is made up of a columnar-shaped collection of small, fleshy drupes tightly attached to a green stem that runs through it. This type of fruit is called an aggregate or collective fruit, not a berry. A typical sized fruit ranges from 3/8–1/2″ in diameter by 1″ long.

• Fruit color is variable, and consequently, mulberry names can seem confusing. Ripe red mulberries (Morus rubra) range from a dark, deep red to black. White mulberries (Morus alba) can have white, lavender, or blackish purple fruit. Black mulberries (Morus nigra) are a welcome exception, as they are black.

• White and red mulberries ripen in late spring, while black mulberries ripen in summer to late summer. A tree’s mulberries don’t ripen all at once, but over an extended period of 4–6 weeks, which is good news for foragers who like them.