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Pakistan Mulberry tree cultivation

Pakistan Mulberry

(Morus macroura)

 

Pakistan Mulberry Overview:

This is a delicious early ripening fruit which is similar in flavor to a raspberry but without the hard/crunchy seeds.  It has been a fast growing trouble free tree for me.

Ripening Pakistan Mulberry fruit

Ripening Pakistan Mulberry fruit

Fruit Taste:  

  • The Pakistan Mulberry is sweet with a mild raspberry-like flavor and subtle richer overtones.  They are the sweetest when they are very dark and become “dull” (when they lose their glossy shine).
  • It is not quite as tart as a raspberry and a bit less juicy.  In fact, this fruit is rather dry compared to other fruits and has an almost vegetable quality.  As a comparison, the Pakistan Mulberry is firmer and dryer than the Persian Mulberry, which makes it less messy/easier to handle.  A major plus for this fruit is that there are no crunchy seeds to get stuck in your teeth like a raspberry.
  • The berry can be eaten whole.  However, there is a stringy central core to the fruit which is edible but does not add much value to the taste.  Therefore, some people like to strip the berry clean of the central core by pulling the fruit through their teeth and discarding the core. Myself, I find this slows me down and I would rather just eat the whole thing.

 

Unfolding Pakistan Mulberry leaves and fruit

Unfolding Pakistan Mulberry leaves and fruit

Fruit Appearance:

  • The fruit will first reveal itself with the opening of the leaf buds; the leaves and unripe fruit unravel together.  The green fruit will turn red and then nearly black when fully ripe.
  • As expected, the darker fruit is riper and has a better flavor.  However, sometimes you may want to pick the fruit before it reaches its prime because of hungry birds or squirrels.  If the fruit has some color on it when picked, it will ripen off the tree (in the safety of your kitchen).  Regardless, the less ripe fruit with some green on it is not too bad either, just not as good.
  • The fruit will generally fall into your hand with a tap or gentle tug when it’s ready.  Don’t forget to look around the ground because some excellent fruit will fall off the tree when in its prime.

 

Ripening Pakistan Mulberry on tree

Ripening Pakistan Mulberry on tree

Fruit Season:

This is an early ripening mulberry.  This year and last year, the tree started producing fruit in April and will likely continue into June.

 

Landscaping use:

  • It is a very fast growing tree and needs to be diligently pruned to keep it manageable.
  • It is semi-deciduous (at least in Southern California) which means it drops some- but not all of its leaves in the winter.   So the few remaining leaves on the tree make it look a bit sad in the winter months.  As a result, it is not a great looking specimen for the colder parts of the year.  Therefore consider the backyard and not the front of the house.  However, in the summer it is a beautiful healthy looking tree with abundant large heart shaped leaves.
  • The tree has been reported to grow up to 70 feet, but typically tops out around 30 feet in height.  Plant the tree a good distance from your house, sidewalk or driveway to avoid future hassle.

 

Soil:

 

Water:

The tree is said to be mildly drought tolerant (once established) because they have a deep root system.

 

Sun:

Full sun is best, but the Pakistan Mulberry is adaptable.

 

Fertilization:

I have been going light on fertilization because the plant grows so fast and looks so green.

 

Temp:

  • Southern California coastal zones seem to be ideal for the Pakistan Mulberry.  This is a “low chill” variety fruit tree but can withstand temps down to 25 degrees F.
  • For more information about the lowest temperatures that you can expect in your area, check out my article “Climate Zones: What can I grow in my yard?”

 

Tree Pruning:

 

Pests:

  • The tree is currently (and has been) bug free without the use of insecticides.
  • A major problem is fighting the birds and squirrels for the fruit. I use Holographic Bird Scare Tape that works rather well at keeping the birds away.  If you are going to use glitter tape, it is best to only use it during the fruit season so that the birds don’t get use to it.  A very similar product is Flash Tape but I haven’t tried that.
  • Bird netting is another option but the tree grows so fast during the fruiting season that it may become a tangled mess that damages growing leaves.
  • Another option is to pick the fruit just before they are fully red and let them ripen inside the house.
  • Because ground Squirrels also love the fruit.  I suggest that you go out of your way to pick the fallen fruit off the ground before the rodents figure it out.  The less they know the better.
  • UPDATE:  A thoughtful reader just informed me of another significant threat to mulberry trees (see 5/14/13 comment below).  Squirrels may also devour the leaves of a  mulberry tree- stripping it of  of all of its leaves.  Yikes!

 

Food uses:

  • The fruit tastes wonderful just off the tree it is hard to eat just a few.
  • The Pakistan Mulberry is also used for just about anything you would use a raspberry for:  muffins, cakes, pies, cobbler, tarts, jams, etc.
  • Some people also simmer the fruit with red wine and spices to create a sauce for red meat or game birds.

 

Ready to eat Pakistan Mulberries

A Handful of ready to eat Pakistan Mulberries

Misc:

  • The original Pakistan Mulberry cuttings that were brought into the US were from Islamabad.
  • The Pakistan Mulberry tree has been known to live for hundreds of years in Pakistan and Asia Minor.
  • Silkworms only eat fresh mulberry leaves
  • Pakistan Mulberry is also known as the Himalayan Mulberry and Shatoot.

 

About Thomas Osborne, MD

Dr. Osborne is a Harvard trained Radiologist and Neuroradiologist who loves to share his insight about medicine and gardening.

85 comments

  1. Just a note about squirrels and Mulberry trees. The leaves of the Mulberry are quite edible for animals and humans alike, similar to grape leaves. Squirrels will not only strip a Mulberry tree of it’s fruit, but also it’s leaves. This happened to us within a month after planting our two Mulberry trees. We purchased 2 squirrel traps and caught 13 squirrels within a few weeks, in the general vicinity of the trees. Once, the squirrels were eliminated, both trees recovered and produced more leaves. But they have not produced any more fruit, so far, this season.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hi Catt
      What a painful story about your mulberry tree. Thank you for sharing your story and your insight. I will update the mulberry post with your added information. Thanks!

  2. In South Florida there is a huge problem with white flies, unfortunately, they also like the Mulberry trees. Keep an eye out for them and check under the leaves. Natural predators are finally starting to move in slowly but for now they still need to be controlled. I just bought a Pakistani Mulberry tree today and was told that here it is deciduous and that it also is susceptible to root rot. That won’t be a problem since all we have is sand! I am hoping the Iguanas won’t be a problem with the leaves. I will have to wait and see.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hey Elena
      Thanks for the great info. Ill keep a look out for the white fly’s. Fortunately the Iguanas keep to the pet stores here in California. However, our ground squirrels can do major damage to leaves and fruit. Good luck with the Pakistani Mulberry; its a great tree. Keep us posted on your progress.
      Thanks,
      Tom

  3. I still have fond memories of growing up in Boarding school in India and stealing a handful of mulberries from the Principals back yard almost as a reaction to his military discipline 😉
    So I found a nice Mulberry tree still left over from a Nursery sale and bought it. It is a Persian Mulberry tree and has done well but the fruit were not as tasty as my memories. So in my normal browsing of local Nurseries( I go Tree shopping as my wife goes Clothes, jewelry, etc shopping), I came across a forelorn Mulberry and took it home. It was a Pakistani Mulberry and even though as Indians I was not too keen on a Pakistani Mulberry tree, I have found it to be DEEEELICIOUS and brings back fond memories. It is a sturdier tree than the Persian, and grows taller, fruits earlier and so far has avoided unwelcome attention from pesky squirrels who have maurauded my oranges, cherries, Peaches, and Apricots. I will keep you posted on the Mulberry tree competition!

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Lol-regarding the political connotations of the mulberry tree names.
      But I agree, Pakistan Mulberry fruit are rather awesome.
      I have also noted the same pattern of growth comparing the Pakistan Mulberry to the Persian Mulberry tree.
      Looking forward to your updates.

      • Would you believe it?! My Pakistani Mulberry has burst into life. It is putting out shoots like crazy and has already formed fruit. My Persian Mulberry on the other hand is still dormant. So far Pakistani 1 Persian 0.
        BTW my Almonds, Apricots, Plums, are all in bloom but amazingly so are my Peaches!
        My Early Elberta and Strawberry which are late bloomers are already budding and in partial bloom. But the biggest surprise is my Ein Schmer Apple. Already in Bloom!! WHoever heard of Apples blooming in Feb? Funny weather this year in San Jose.

        • Thomas Osborne, MD

          lol, I do believe it Sateesh. My Pakistan has done the same. My Persian Mulberry trees are always late too.
          Yea, it has been funny winter weather for us all.
          I am curious about your Strawberry Peach. Does it taste like strawberries?
          T

          • Tom, the Strawberry Peach tree is actually one of three varieties grafted on the same stock. So that means the tree itself is quite small and the strawberry peaches are few and smallish. They have white flesh and do have a taste of Strawberries. However the best variety of peach I have found is Florida Prince followed by Desert Gold and JH Hale. The Red Baron is a new sapling so I dont expect many fruit for a couple of years but I am ready to be surprised because I only just planted one and it is already budding so who knows, it could produce yet this summer. Keep you posted. BTW, I was Chief Information Officer CIO who manages the entire world of IT, computers, Telecoms, Hardware, software, Applications development, deployment, Tech support, and his key objective is in Business Transformation of systems and processes using X-functional teams of Subject Matter Experts, Project Managers, etc. CIOs tend to be very business focused as distinct from CTOs who manage the Tech Support and new Tech part of the CIOs business. Thus the CIO tends to be a Business person drawn from Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Finance, Acctg, Sales, Operations. I myself came from Engineering, Mfg, Supply Chain and Operations/Process. Sorry but CTOs are not CIOs. Anyway, managing this function for Global Giants is a very high pressure job, very long hours, very stressful, lots of office politics, and I am now so happy to have retired to thoughts of Pakistani vs Persian Mulberries 😉 LOL!! Best regards.

          • Thomas Osborne, MD

            Hey Sateesh.

            Red Barron Peach:
            I love the Red Barron Peach… and the bright cluster of flowers coating the branches in the spring is an awesome sight.
            You made a great choice with that one.

            CIO:
            Thanks for the clarification. I always appreciate insight from experts in their field.
            I myself am a Medical Doctor, so I am fully aware of long stressful hours.
            However, because of my additional experience in leadership, tech, business and design I was recruited to lead several high visibility corporate projects.
            Although I am juggling a lot at the moment, for the most part I am really enjoying the work and excited about what we are able to achieve.
            Your still my hero Sateesh.

        • Hi Sateesh
          I read about your Pakistani Mulberry Tree and am glad that there are more people who love the fruit. I have had my tree for several years now and it is doing great. It is full of fruit now but the fruit is shedding excessively. The way it is going, I am not sure if there will be any fruit left for when it is the season to ripen and eat it :-((
          Any suggestions, please share.
          Best regards

      • Hi Tom, Thought you might like an update on my Mulberry trees. My Persian mulberry produced delicious mulberries and has grown to a substantial size. Then I came across a Pakistani Mulberry tree all alone and forelorn in a Nursery and I could not resist it. So I planted it a year ago and it has now grown considerably. It has also rewarded me handsomely with deeelicious mulberries even sweeter and larger than the Persian and much earlier. So when I walk my Pakistani daughter-in-law around my garden, I always point out how well the Pakistani mulberry has done compared to the Persian and give her some of the fruit as proof! This drought has set both back somewhat but they are both surviving to flourish next year – provided we have a wet winter.

    • Hello Sateesh Jee,

      I am from Lahore, Pakistan. Read about your research on Mulberry and that you liked the Pakistan Mulberry. Hope you and your family enjoy its fruit 🙂

      Best regards
      Isbah

      • Thomas Osborne, MD

        Thanks Ishah
        They are delicious fruit.

        • I really want a Pakistan mulberry tree, where could I get one?
          Thanks
          Anu

          • Thomas Osborne, MD

            Hi Anu
            Good question.
            However, the answer depends on where you are and where you would like to buy the plant.
            If you provide a general region/town then perhaps a kind reader in your area can provide you with some specific buying info.
            Best,
            Tom

      • Hi, I live in Caribbean island with a temp. Of about 27 degrees all year around, I can’t get cuttings or live plants here, but I was able to get some Pakistan mulberry seeds, what is the best sure way to grow them from seeds and would it do well in my climate?
        THANKS
        Tony

  4. I love Pakistan Mulberries. I grew up on a street named Mulberry and was always curious about the fruit but never got a chance to taste the berries as a child. Then last year May, I went to a local nursery over here in Southern California and saw Lavender colored mulberries on some small trees they were selling. They were from China the nursery owner told me and I tried a few off the tree and they were pretty tasty. They had a light white peach flavor and were very juicy. As I turned the corner a few steps I saw a few long dark burgundy mulberries hanging from a few other trees nearby. I asked the man what variety was that one and he said Pakistan Mulberry. He told me to try some and I did. They were more rich and sweet in flavor than the Chinese Lavender ones and I fell in love so I bought a few Pakistan Mulberry trees. This morning I saw that my Pakistan Mulberry trees are already starting to burst with new leaves from their buds and small green mulberries are starting to unravel which made me excited to see, but my Chinese Lavender mulberry is not even budding yet. I went back to Mimosa Nursery last week and bought two more potted dwarf Pakistan Mulberry trees and I now have four and one Chinese Lavender. This will be my first Spring and Summer with my Mulberry trees, so with my “new” enthusiasm I did some research and found that Mulberries are high in an antioxidant called Resveratrol which supposedly has some cardiovascular and antiaging benefits. Resveratrol was also featured in an episode of ’60 Minutes’ and also supposedly plays a role in “The French Paradox.” A last neat thing I found was that the Mulberry fruit itself may have even played a role in William Shakespeare writing Romeo and Juliet, being that his story was based on the tragic love story of Pyramus and Thisbe who both died under a Mulberry tree turning the white fruit to it’s dark color. Anyways, can’t wait to have these tasty berries soon.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Agree Ryan, those Pakistan Mulberries are super good.
      Thanks for sharing your awesome stories.
      I esp liked hearing about how the classic Romeo and Juliet story is connected to the mulberry.
      “The French Paradox” angle is cool too.. just another excuse to eat more mulberries.
      Thanks Ryan!

  5. Thanks Tom, and you’re welcome. I too love plants and am fascinated by unique exotic fruits. Another fruit besides the Mulberry that I am intrigued by that I recently bought are my “Ruby Silverberry” plants, or Autumn Olive (Eleagnus Umbellate) plants, which is the common name, although it is not related to the olive. I bought a few plants of my own from Rolling River Nursery online. The Burnt Ridge Nursery website also sells them. This plant shrub is very majestic looking. It has bright Jade green leaves and when you turn the leaves over they shine like silver underneath in the sun, hence the name “Silverberry”. The berries are bright Ruby red and are covered with tiny silver speckles, no joke! It literally looks as if someone has sprinkled silver dust onto the oval shaped red berries. Although I have never tasted them before I read online they taste sweet and tart like a combination of apple and cranberry. The Autumn Olive is also high in Lycopene, (they contain 17 times more than tomatoes!) which helps support prostate health and prevent certain kinds of cancers. The plants also fix nitrogen into the soil allowing them to thrive in just about any type of soil. The variety I bought is called “Ruby”. This variety produces bigger berries than the other varieties and produces in abundance and is good for culinary use. I can’t wait to try them.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Thanks, Ryan. It sounds like we both get excited about uncommon and unusual fruit trees.

      The Autumn Olive does sound like a gem of a plant; cool looking berries, drought tolerant and nitrogen fixing roots sound like the makings of a sure winner.
      Unfortunately, it seems that those same qualities have made Elaeagnus Umbellata an invasive plant.
      Bummer.

      However, most of the invasive references for this plant that I have found are for the East Coast and Canada.
      I have not yet seen that it has been listed as invasive in California.
      That being said, a related plant (Russian Olive, Elaeagnus angustifolia) is listed as invasive in California.

      Cool looking plant though.

      Thanks,
      Tom

  6. Sorry for the detailed explanation of CIO/CTO. It means so much to a practitioner in the field. It is like calling a Dr. MD, a Dentist or a Chiropractor LOL!!
    Anyway, now that I have got to know and trust you Tom, I have a puzzle for you. I planted an Improved Meyer lemon tree which in its first year produced beautiful thin skinned, seedless lemons but the following year, the lemons were small and bitter. It is right next to a Eureka lemon which is thriving and I water them both. So why are the lemons bitter all of a sudden? Maybe I’ll just enjoy the ornamental value of the Meyer lemons or sell them to Schweppes Bitter Lemon. LOL!!

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Good puzzle Sateesh.
      I have a few ideas why your Meyer lemon may not be giving you want you want.
      However, I am just guessing at this point. More info and or a few pics would help.

      So going out on a limb (without further info) here are a few thoughts.

      -It could be too early to pick the fruit based on your particular microclimate.

      -The warm weather could have pushed the fruit to turn color before they are actually ripe.

      -The tree could be recovering from a bumper crop last year. I have noticed that my Meyer lemon trees tend toward alternate bearing.

      -The fruit you arer seeing could actually be coming from a ‘sucker’ branch of the root stock. Most root stock is related to lemon and do produce fruit if you let them.

      -The tree could be sick. Check for aphids and the like under the leaves.

      -The tree could be hungry. Are the leaves yellow or mottled?

      -Is the tree not getting enough light. Has another tree grown up and shaded the Meyer?

      -Are the dreaded gophers up to no good?

      • Thanks for the guide Tom. I will send you photos from which you will see that the tree is absolutely covered in yellow lemons but they are little bigger than golf balls. They taste bitter and quite juicy; but the insides look GREEN. Maybe that’s a clue that they are still unripe. So now I have let them ripen till they fall off. No suckers in evidence.No sign of Aphids and I have given the tree tons of high nitrogen fertilizer and Ammonia Sulphate. Leaves are lovely shade of rich green. I suspect it is the gophers. I had to dig up a Ornamental Cherry tree which wilted all of a sudden and when I dug it up, I spotted the tell-tale signs of teeth marks at the bottom of the trunk/roots where the gophers had sheared them. Ugh! But the Meyer Lemon tree still lives on and looks the picture of health. Photos en route.

        • Thomas Osborne, MD

          Hey Sateesh.
          Well, so far it sounds like your Meyer Lemons colored up before they were ripe.
          If so, I suspect that the unusually warm winter we are having may have a lot to do with that.
          I like your idea of waiting till they are ready to fall off.

          And those freaking gophers!
          Perhaps getting rid of your grass will give them less of a reason to stick around.
          A nice green lawn is gopher paradise.

          T

          • Quick update on my Meyer Lemon, Tom. I guess it must have been a combination of Gopher Attack, lack of nitrogen, iron and water. So I have given it lots of fertilizer, Ammonium Sulphate and as much water as I could spare in this drought. It is producing more healthy looking lemons but is at least 3 months late in terms of fruit development. Hopefully it’ll survive the drought. It seems to enjoy the close company of a Eureka Lemon, California Navel Orange and a Mandarin Orange all three of which are thriving. Best rgds,

          • Thomas Osborne, MD

            Thanks for the update, that’s great news Sateesh!
            Congrats on bringing your Meyer lemon back from the brink.
            Keep up the good work.
            Tom

  7. Do you think I could grow a Pakistani mulberry tree in a pot in full sun IN THE HOUSE? I live in Southern California and I’m just in no mood to fight squirrels :). Thanks and best.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hi Amanda

      Interesting question.
      I have not tried to grow mulberries in pots. I suppose you could do it, but it might be harder to grow mulberries in pots than it is for other trees.
      Mulberry trees have more extensive root systems than other trees that do well in post such as Meyer Lemon trees.
      Therefore, I suspect that they might quickly outgrow their potted home.
      Mulberries also love full sun, so filtered sun through a window may not be the best either.

      So, overall… I would think it would be possible to grow mulberries in pots inside but it would be difficult… and they might not me too happy about it.

      As far as the squirrels; yes, they are a major pain in the butt.
      However, for some reason they have not discovered my mulberry trees yet.
      And fortunately they have not eaten the leaves of any of my trees as another reader has warned.

      I would chalk this up to 5 different reasons:
      1. The squirrels are likely unfamiliar with this fruit and don’t yet know it is an eating option.

      2. I eat the fruit as fast at they are ripe, so there is not much hanging around for them to ‘discover’.. I sometimes pick the fruit just before it is optimally ripe and let it finish ripening in the kitchen. I also pick up fallen fruit around the tree. Overall, the less those critters know, the better.

      3. I trap squirrels as fast as I can and keep the local population in as low as possible (I will write a post about this soon).

      4. I use scare tape on the branches to keep away the birds and it might also be keeping the squirrels at bay.

      5. I don’t have a bird feeder. That is a total squirrel magnet.

      Anyhow,
      Long story short.
      If it was me, I would plant the tree in an exposed part of the yard where squirrels don’t have the cover to feel safe. and then I would follow the above 4 steps.. Most importantly, enjoy the fruit as fast as you can-and don’t share with the critters.

      Best,

      Tom

  8. Thank you so much. Really appreciate your fantastic site. Best, Amanda

  9. Md. Harunur Rashid

    I’m Harun from Bangladesh interested in collecting exotic fruit plant. After going through your information I’ve been fond of this fruit plants. I have a drastic desire to get this fruit plant. Could you help me how I get this fruit plants.

    Thanks a lot

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hi Harun
      It is great to hear from a fellow fruit tree collector.
      The Pakistan Mulberry tree is wonderful.
      At the moment I am not sure how you could get this tree in Bangladesh.
      Perhaps another reader of this webpage will know.
      Ill give it some thought and get back to you.
      Tom

  10. I hear that mulberries produce tones of pollen for hayfever?

  11. Do mulberries give off so much pollen that it causes allergies?

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hey Nate.
      Great question on mulberries and allergies.

      I just did some digging around to answer your question.
      The following is a summary of several internet articles.
      I dont have a more trusted source such as a book specifically on mulberries… So take this info for what it is worth.
      However, the info I have read is consistent with my experience.

      From what I have recently read:
      Mulberry trees are most commonly dioecious, meaning that a particular tree is either male or female.
      The male plants produce lots of pollen.
      There are a lot of allergy complaints about the pollen from male mulberry trees.
      People plant the male mulberry trees in some areas b/c it is a fast growing shade-tree that doesn’t make a mess of sidewalks from the dropped fruit.

      The female plants produce the fruit that you want.
      The female plants dont produce the pollen; they actually absorb the pollen.
      Some female plants dont even need a male plant pollinator plant to produce fruit.

      I have several fruiting mulberry trees which I have never seen any pollen coming from.
      My experience supports the summary that I have written above.

      Hope this helps,
      Tom

  12. Hi Tom, I have purchased a Pakistan Mulberry from Willis Orchards in Georgia. I live in Weatherford, Texas which is zone 7B. It is the largest they sell with a 1 1/4 inch caliber.
    They are saying it will take temperatures down to zero, but you mentioned 20 degrees. If you have different information on this please let me know.

    Kenneth Long
    Long’s Daylily Garden
    kenlinda2012@gmail.com

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hey Kenneth
      Thanks for the question.
      When I mentioned that the Pakistan Mulberry would survive down to 25F, it was based on my own research and discussions.
      (fortunately, temps dont get that low in Southern California, so I dont have direct experience growing in 25F and lower temps).

      Note: All plants that I know of will become more cold hearty, as they get older and more established. So if you are at the growing zone edge for a plant, getting them through the first winter is key. Also, I have read about these guys freezing back to the ground in colder winters and then growing back up from the trunk/roots. Sounds good, but if the graft totally dies back then you will just be growing the root stock.

      Anyhow,
      I found a discussion for you on the topic of Pakistan Mulberry cold tolerance. There is some debate, but most support what I had mentioned in my earlier article.
      http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fruit/msg041155404325.html

      Best,
      Tom

      • Thank you for the quick response. After reading the blogs, it appears the Pakistan is more susceptible to low temperatures than other mulberries. I will let you know if the tree survives or not. I need to join the blog in either case. If the tree dies, then I can find one that does well in our area. If the tree lives then I can direct them to Willis Orchards for the largest tree that I could find and inform them of all the mulch and how I stabilized the tree to make sure the roots could not be disturbed.

        Kenneth Long

  13. I already have the black mulberry, and did not know about this one… I cannot buy it in the Canary or else I would have already found it! Is it only by cuttings? No seed?
    Did I understand properly, that it needs quite a lot of water, that is to say more than the black mulberry? Did you compare the tastes of both?
    Thanks

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hey Xisca

      Pakistan Mulberry trees are rather drought tolerant, so they do not need that much water to survive.
      However, they with fruit better if you do water regularly.

      I did do a mulberry comparison a while back, but there are many varieties out there so I am not sure if it is what your looking for.
      See link below.

      Thanks,
      Tom

      • Hi Tom, We have had a bad winter here in Weatherford, Texas, but my newly planted Pakistan Mulberry appears to still be alive. I bought the 1&1/4 inch caliber from Willis Orchards In Georgia. The tree I received from Willis looked exceptional for a mail order plant. The weather is warming and I will let you know as soon as it leafs out. It would be good to have a great sourse for this tree.

        Kenneth Long
        kenlinda2012@ gmail.com

    • hola xisca, did you find a supplier here in the canaries for the pakistan mulberry? i would like to find one too! saludos, jonny.

      • I purchased a 1 and 1/4 inch caliber Pakistan tree from Willis Orchards in Georgia. The first one died from a very bitter and wet winter, but Willis replaced it even though the US Post Office lost the dead tree I tried to mail back to them. The replacement tree is budding out after a normal winter and I am looking forward to trying it’s fruit here in Weatherford, Texas this summer as it is large enough to bear the first year.

  14. Tom, appreciate all of the knowledge you are sharing on your website. I am in El Cajon and have had fun trying out lots of fruiting exotics in my yard over 20 years. I am in my second year of Dragonfruit growing having been given a white flowered variety from Home Depot as a gift. The first plant grew like crazy in a large pot, flowered but did not hold set even though the plant was over the 10 pound size threshold. I tried a variety of pollinating techniques with no luck. I am hopeful that this year maybe the plant will be old enough to hold fruit.

    In the meantime I have obtained more cuttings, purple flower variety, from my friend in Ramona. She gets fruit so I want to cross pollinate. My question is about transplanting. What technique do you use to move the potted plants into the permanent landscape? I was thinking of just cutting the bottom off the large plastic pot they are in and burying it halfway into a treated whole in the full sun on a slight slope. ( the San Diego Zoo has a similar display on the eastern side of the park up against the fence. Their plants always seem to have fruit and the trellis is only 24 inches high).

    Tim V.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hey Tim.
      Sounds like you have a cool home orchard/garden.

      It is great to hear that you are planning for a successful transplantation.
      Cutting out the bottom of a container is an interesting idea, although I have not tried that.
      If possible, I would like to give the roots more area to grow.
      I have written an article about the best planting technique… That article covers the steps that have been the most successful for me (see link below)
      Best planting technique

      Hope this helps,
      Best,
      Tom

  15. Very appreciative of your time giving extensive info and responses, Just a comment about these mulberries we call Red Shahtoot in Queensland. So far I’ve only found the dwarf variety (grafted onto dwarf stock) and this my second try and it’s probably also on the way out. I do want the dwarf variety as I have a white Shahtoot which was a large magnificent spreading tree cooling my back entrance: the fruit tasted like honey- however, I had to severely lop it due to flying foxes (bats) and possums defecating on the leaves and path, which was a health risk, especially due to the lethal viruses the odd bat can carry here, I have a dwarf ordinary black mulberry which grows and bears ok and small enough to not attract the bats etc.
    I only had 1 fruit from my first red tree and it was deliciously sweet with a touch of raspberry like flavour. I hope I can save this second tree; it just started dying with its first winter (subtropical). The white variety keeps bearing until the end of November when the real summer heat starts. I wouldn’t mind sharing the fruit with the night creatures, but I’m more health conscious than they are.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hey Lainee

      Great insight and experience.
      Honey flavored mulberry sounds wonderful.
      Thank you also for the important warning about planting location considerations and safety concerns with the bats and possums.

      Best,
      Tom

  16. Hi Thomas,
    Just a quick update on my Pakistani Mulberry. It has already broken out in leaf and I expect it to start fruiting next week. It is about a month ahead in terms of the usual climate in N.California. The rest of the garden echoes this early Spring perhaps because we have had a fair amount of rain to recover from last summer’s drought. The Almonds have already bloomed and formed. The Apricots as well. The Santa Rosa Plums have just finished their white display and are forming fruit in large quantities. My early Florida Prince and Desert Gold Peaches have already bloomed and formed fruit in vast quantities. The J H Hale, Babcock, El Grande, and Early Elberta and Strawberry have just burst into flower. So soon it will be the turn of the Cherries and Apples – the Ein Schmer(early Israeli) are just about to bloom. So in summary, If the nasty Squirrels don’t get them, this year promises to be a bumper crop. Best of luck to you too in S. California!

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hey Sateesh… my friend to the North.

      Sounds like your garden/backyard orchard is doing great.
      Thanks for the update.

      Things are definitely ahead of schedule down here too.
      I just thinned out a lot of the little peaches developing on my Florida Prince.
      As long as we dont get hit by a cold spell we should be in for a long fruitful season.

      Best,
      Tom

  17. Jonathan Rabello

    You care seedlings to Brazil?
    I like to buy Morus Macroura .

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hi Jonathan

      Thank you for the question.
      I currently dont sell plants, I just try to share what I know about them for mutual benefit.
      Perhaps another reader can assist.

      Best,
      Tom

    • Jonathan, I live in Weatherford, Texas and purchase my pakistan mulberry trees from Willis Nursery in Georgia. They have many sizes and prices. I’m old so I bought their largest size, and it had fruit the first year, but the birds beat me to it.

      Kenneth Long

  18. Hi Tom, I am still reading sequentially through your older articles and I noticed in this one that you said you would write an article on trapping squirrels. Since I did not come across such an article maybe that subject slipped through the cracks or else I could have made a mistake and missed it.

    In case it slipped through the cracks, I think it would be a very interesting article as we have a ton of tree squirrels here in greater Sacramento area, which is known as the City of Trees.

    Thanks, David

  19. Thank you very much for all the info and comparisons of the two types of Mulberries. However, It would be nice if you corrected your original article. There is no such thing as a “White Persian” mulberry. Persian mulberry are a distinct species, Morus nigra, nigra meaning black, and the fruit are always dark purple-black. Your photos are of Morus nigra, aka Persian Mulberries.
    White Mulberry is the common name for a different species, Morus alba, alba meaning white, and the fruit is quite different than the Persian. Contrary to the name, the fruit of “White” Mulberries can be many different colors from whitish to pink, light purple (the “lavender” one another commenter talked about), and even a fairly dark purple/black but the fruit is thinner and usually longer than a Persian, often looking like the fruit of the Pakistani, with which it is often confused. The flavor of the Whites is usually described as bland to sweet without the additional acid found in Persian and Pakistani types. The White Mulberry is the one used for thousands of years to produce silk in Asia.

    I hope that at you will print this comment and hopefully correct your original article.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Thanks for the great info Minulus
      Im in the middle of some deadlines at work but I will dig into the details soon…
      Thanks!

  20. Sorry, I posted my comment in the wrong place. It should have been with your article comparing the Pakistani and White Persian Mulberries. I had clicked through to your planting instructions for the Pakistani and forgot to go back to the comparison article. I hope that you will post my comment under the comparison article. By the way, you can verify all of my info about the different species over the internet.

  21. Agronomist Ariel Shai

    The Afghani or Pakistani or Indian tree fruit species that is defined botanically Morus macroura – has 6n number of chromosomes as compared with its sister species of 2n. For what ever reasons, the cuttings brought in from that region – possess but female flowers. Not sure where the males gone. As a result – all fruits are seedless. This explains the drieness of the fruits. On the otherhand, like seedless grapes – growth hormones sprays – like giberllins (GA3) may change the size and juiciness. It is now the time to check if you have but female flowers or may be a few a few male flowers are hidden around. The normal male Morus sppollens with 2n (1n) chromsomes will not pollinate-fertilize the true Morus macroura flower with its 6n (3n) ovaries.

    My question is – did you ever check the femaleness of your tree and are there real Morus macroura males around? I wonder if people bought Morus macroura seeds and I triple question what came out? For sure, there are botanical classification disputes about the mulberries (Morus species and subspecies) but lets leave it aside.

  22. David,

    Thank you for the great site. I live in Orange County, could you recommend place that sells good Pakistan Mulberry.

  23. Never mind, regarding the my previous question. Found seller that sells all sorts of Mulberry Trees in Orange County

  24. Does anybody know when is the best time to plant Pakistan mulberry in the ground? I just purchased the white Pakistan one from Champa nursery in El Monte, it is fruiting now. I am thinking to wait until it is done fruiting to plant it so we still can enjoy the fruit for now. The fruit is really sweet even when it still green!

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hi Yuyu
      Optimal time would probably be in a dormant season (winter/late fall)
      However, you could plant it now if you are careful with the roots and water it a lot.
      (few planting suggestions via an earlier article I wrote about the subject).
      If you do want to plant now, I would also remove all the fruit first.

      Best,
      Tom

  25. Hi Tom, I am trying to decide whether or not to plant a Pakistani Mulberry tree. My question is, does the Pakistani Mulberry have an invasive root system? I ‘ve read where they say Mulberry trees are invasive, however, the Pakistani variety seems to be easier to deal with. I am hoping that it’s not the variety that will tear up sidewalks, foundations etc.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hey Denise
      Great question.

      It is an awesome tree, but it may not be right for a place close to pavement/sidewalks etc. Although I havent personally planted one close to a sidewalk< I would not do it myself. At the very least there is a risk that fallen fruit would stain the pavement. Overall, I dont think there are a lot of safe options for planting trees close to a sidewalk, etc. For example, I had several people tell me over and over again that palm trees were no problem. However, the queen palm trees I had growing close to a very thick sidewalk lifted it up several inches before I cut them down. No guarantees, but citrus seem to be the best option for fruit trees in this situation because of their typically noninvasive root system. Perhaps another reader can chime in with their experience. Thanks! Tom

  26. The Pakistan Mulberry is one of the most popular trees at our nursery. The tree grows large and the fruits are ripe during the summer. One of the tastiest fruits of all!

    https://paradisenursery.com/product/pakistan-mulberry-tree/

  27. Hi Thomas, I’m not sure why you are harvesting your Pakistan mulberry fruit when it’s so red. Perhaps that’s why you say it is more dry. Are the birds and squirrels eating yours if you leave them on too long? We wait until ours are very deep purple/black looking and they are juicy and wonderful. They are the best berries I’ve ever eaten by far! Thanks for your great info!

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Thanks Jan
      Totally agree.. and yes the rodents, as well as the birds, love the fruit as much as we do.
      Thanks!

  28. Thank you so much Dr. Thomas Osborne I like the information you provide for Pakistan mulberry. I live in Toronto, Canada. Can you please help me, where I can find the tree to plant in my backyard? I will appreciate a lot. I am looking for this tree from long time.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Thanks Saad
      I have not grown in Canada, so unfortunately I will be of limited help. However, in general, I like to go to local nurseries to get the local scoop on what will work in the area. In my experience, many of them are very happy to share their knowledge.
      Best,
      Tom

  29. I purchased a Pakistan Mulberry Tree from Willis Orchards in Georgia. The fruit is very small and very few,. I could only find three this year on a 12 foot tall tree.(Only about three last year also) They were smaller than the end of my little finger and did not taste like raspberries. Can you give me the name of a nursery that will sell me real Pakistan mulberry trees.

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hi Kenneth
      Thanks for your note.
      Sorry to hear about your mulberry production.
      As I am sure you have thought about, the problem could be the health of the tree, the growing conditions or perhaps the type of tree you thought you bought is not what you got. All of that would require some dedicated exploration to sift out.

      I have only bought my mulberry trees from small/family local nurseries. I dont have experience buying mulberry trees online.

      Best
      Tom

  30. I bought my Pakistan mulberry tree from a well reputed nursery in Texas. It did grow amazingly healthy and vigorously in my backyard. I took well care of it. But even after 8 years it still did not fruit. Then from the last 2 years it started fruiting. The tree will be covered completely with small green fruits during spring. But unfortunately the young fruits will fall off from the tree within a 2 weeks time.
    Not even one fruit willl survive on the tree. I am beginning to wonder,whether my tree is a male tree? Does Pakistan mulberry tree need pollination? Just curious..

    • Thomas Osborne, MD

      Hi Alex
      Great questions.

      There are several possible reasons why your tree may be slow to fruit. First thought is that perhaps the growing conditions are not optimal. Mulberries require a good deal of space and direct sunlight to grow optimally. On the other hand, mulberries are not too finicky about the soil, as long as it is well draining… but prefer deep sandy loam. They also do not require a lot of fertilizer but do appreciate at least some. Pakistan Mulberry does ok with an occasional light frost (however, Pakistan mulberry prefers mild winters such as coastal California or deep South).

      Lots of mulberries sold in nurseries are grafted, which means you get a tree that is has the exact fruit/sex you are looking for and the cloned branches can fruit in as little as a few years. However, mulberries can be grown from seed, but those plants may not produce the same fruit as the parent, and the plants can take 10 years or more to fruit. So that could also impact what you get and when.

      The fruit does not require pollination.

      Hope that helps a bit.
      Best,
      Tom

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