Mulberry in Zone 9 -- plant

Bloom timing & cross-pollination

One tree is usually enough

Most mulberries are self-fruitful: a single tree sets a full crop with its own pollen, so you don’t need a second variety to get fruit. Bees still move the pollen from blossom to blossom, so strong pollinator activity through bloom is what drives a heavy set.

Oscar blooms mid season and is self-fruitful, setting a full crop on its own.Blooms alongside: Illinois Everbearing, Silk Hope.

Bar length shows how long each variety blooms, roughly 8 to 14 days. Bars that overlap bloom at the same time.

▲ Tap a variety to see its bloom timing

Very early Early Mid Late Very late

Illinois Everbearing✓ same time

Dwarf Everbearing✓ same time

Silk Hope✓ same time

Pakistan✓ same time

Black Beauty✓ same time

Oscar✓ same time

The pollination rule

The wind does the pollinating for mulberries, so you do not need bees or, usually, a second tree. The one thing to know: mulberry trees vary, and some kinds have separate male and female trees. A wild, unnamed seedling might turn out to be a male that never fruits, so buy a named fruiting variety instead, which usually makes a full crop on its own. This is the reverse of many apples, which need a second variety nearby to make fruit.Mulberries are wind-pollinated, not insect-pollinated, so pollinators are not needed for fruit set. At the species level they are variable: an individual tree is either monoecious, with male and female flowers together, or dioecious, with the sexes on separate trees, and wild red mulberry is usually dioecious, so an unnamed seedling can turn out to be a non-fruiting male. The practical rule is to buy a named fruiting cultivar, which is typically female and bears a full crop on its own, with many reported to set fruit with little or no pollination. This is the opposite situation from many apples, which require a second, compatible variety to cross-pollinate.

In a pot

Yes, compact types only, 15 gallons and up

A standard mulberry is far too large and vigorous for a pot, so container growing means choosing a naturally dwarf or weeping variety like Dwarf Everbearing, which is bred for it and even fruits young in a pot. In a big, well-draining container it can be a productive patio tree, but plan on regular watering, occasional root pruning, and winter protection of the pot. For the everyday full-size mulberry, plant it in the ground.A standard mulberry is far too large and vigorous for containers, so container culture means starting with a genetic-dwarf or weeping cultivar (Dwarf Everbearing and similar), which are bred for pots and bear young. Given the largest practical, freely draining pot, such a tree makes a productive patio specimen, but expect regular watering, periodic root pruning to hold size, and winter root protection. For the ordinary full-size mulberry, in-ground is the only sensible choice.

Pot size: 15 gallons and up
Mature size: 30 to 60 feet tall, 30 to 50 feet wide
Watering: A potted mulberry dries out much faster than one in the ground, so check it often in summer heat and water when the top inch or two is dry, until water runs out the bottom. It still hates sitting in water, so never leave the pot in a full saucer. In winter, when the tree is resting, give just enough to keep the root ball from drying out completely.A potted mulberry dries far faster than one in the ground and has no deep soil to draw on, so check moisture often in summer heat and water when the top inch or two is dry, until it runs from the drainage holes. It still resents standing water, so never leave the pot in a full saucer. Through dormancy it needs only enough to keep the root ball from drying out completely.
Self-watering pot: No. A self-watering or sub-irrigated planter is a poor match for mulberry. Its reservoir keeps the lower root zone continuously moist, and mulberry's one real intolerance is standing water at the roots. Use a pot that drains freely and let the mix dry between waterings, rather than a constant water table held against the roots.
Mix: For a dwarf or weeping mulberry in a container, use a coarse, free-draining soilless mix built for woody plants, not a peat-heavy potting soil. A bark-based mix (composted pine bark with perlite or pumice) gives the air-filled porosity roots need; skip native garden soil, which compacts under frequent irrigation. Keep amendments drainage-first: blend in extra perlite or pumice if the base mix is water-retentive, and top-dress with a thin compost layer rather than mixing heavy organics throughout. Avoid moisture-retentive additives, which work against the freely draining root zone mulberry wants.
Feeding: Frequent watering flushes nutrients from a pot, so feed lightly and often rather than in one heavy dose: a dilute balanced liquid feed every few weeks through the spring-to-midsummer flush, then stop by late summer so no soft growth is pushed into frost. Do not feed at planting, and ease off once the tree goes dormant.

One to try

Dwarf EverbearingA naturally dwarf, low-chill, self-fruitful mulberry that stays small and fruits young, even the first year and in a large container. The pick for small yards, patios, and mild-winter areas.

Winter

Roots in a pot get much colder than roots in the ground, because cold reaches the soil from every side. A mulberry that is hardy in your yard can still have its roots freeze in a pot. Before hard freezes, either sink the pot to its rim in a garden bed or move it into an unheated but sheltered spot like a garage or shed that stays cold but not deep-freezing. It still needs the cold to rest, so do not bring it into a warm room.Roots in a container sit several zones colder than roots in the ground, so a mulberry hardy in your soil may still freeze its roots in a pot. Before hard freezes, sink the pot to its rim in a bed or move it to an unheated but sheltered space (garage or shed) that holds dormancy without the deep lows that kill exposed roots. It still needs its winter chill, so do not overwinter it in a heated room.

Cold protection in a pot covers more than the roots: an exposed trunk and, on a grafted tree, the graft union are also vulnerable to freeze. Wrap or shade the lower trunk in exposed sites and bank mulch or sink the pot to insulate the roots. Aim for a cold, stable dormancy without the deep lows that kill exposed roots; a too-warm shelter that breaks dormancy early is its own hazard.

Hardy to zone 4 in the ground; roots in a pot sit colder than that.

Pot safety

Ask what your balcony or roof can carry

A balcony or roof can only hold so much weight. Before you set heavy pots there, ask a building architect what it can safely carry.Illinois Extension's guidance is to consult a building architect about weight limits before placing heavy pots on a balcony or rooftop garden. It gives no weight figure.

Never grow food in a container with anything toxic in it

Many kinds of containers can be used. Whatever you choose, keep anything toxic out of it, especially if you are growing food.Colorado State accepts nearly any container material but warns against using a container that holds toxic materials, especially for edible plants. Illinois adds that a vegetable container should be free of chemicals toxic to plants or people, and urges caution with treated lumber when growing food. If you cannot account for what a repurposed container once held, that alone is a reason to keep food out of it.

Secure hanging containers well

Fasten hanging baskets and window or rail boxes securely. Think about what is below them too, since they can drip on people or things underneath.Illinois Extension asks growers to secure hanging containers well and to think through the safety issues of hanging them. Placement matters too, since a hanging container can drip onto people or belongings below.

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for mulberry

Preferred

6 to 7

Tolerated

5.5 to 8

Mulberry grows well across a wide range of soil pH and is not fussy (pH is just a measure of how acidic or alkaline the soil is). It is happiest around pH 6.0 to 7.0 but tolerates soil from about 5.5 up to 8.0, including the mildly alkaline soils that trouble many fruit trees. For most gardens you do not need to adjust the pH at all; just make sure the soil drains.Mulberry is pH-adaptable, doing best around pH 6.0 to 7.0 but tolerating roughly 5.5 to 8.0. White mulberry in particular handles alkaline ground that stresses many stone fruits, so pH correction is rarely needed. Test before planting if in doubt, but in most soils the practical limits are drainage and sun, not pH.

Verified · 1 source View

Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much

Frequency

Water a new mulberry regularly for its first year or two, about once a week when it does not rain, so the roots get going. After that it is very drought-tolerant and an older tree seldom needs watering, though a good soak while the berries are filling makes them bigger and sweeter. In winter, when the tree is resting, it needs almost none.Water regularly through the first one to two seasons to establish the roots, roughly weekly in the absence of rain. After that, mulberry is notably drought-tolerant and an established tree rarely needs irrigation, though watering through the final weeks of fruit sizing improves size and sweetness. Cut back sharply in winter dormancy.

Amount

Each time you water, give a deep soak that reaches down to the roots, not just a splash on top. A young tree wants about 5 gallons per soak. An older tree needs little, but a deep weekly soak while the fruit is filling, if the weather is dry, pays off in better berries. Deep soaks grow deep, drought-proof roots.Water deeply each time so moisture reaches the full root depth rather than wetting only the surface. For an establishing tree, on the order of 5 gallons per soak; a bearing tree that is watered at all wants the rough equivalent of an inch per week during fruit fill in dry spells. Deep, infrequent soaks build the deep roots that carry mulberry through drought.

Method

Water the ground around the roots with a drip line, soaker hose, or a slow trickle from a hose, spreading it out toward the edge of the branches. The main thing is that the soil drains between waterings; mulberry hates sitting in water much more than it minds being dry.Water at the root zone by drip, soaker, or a slow hose out toward the drip line, keeping the trunk base itself uncrowded. Overhead watering is not the concern it is with stone fruit, but soil that drains freely between waterings matters most, since mulberry dislikes standing water far more than dryness.

Signs of trouble

Too much water

Too much water, or soil that stays soggy, shows up as yellow leaves, wilting that does not go away even when the soil is wet, and a tree that just sits there or goes downhill. Since mulberry handles dry soil so well, staying too wet is the bigger risk. Soil that never dries out is your cue to back off.Overwatering or poor drainage shows as yellowing leaves, wilting that persists in wet soil, and a stalled or declining tree, since waterlogged roots suffocate. Because mulberry is so drought-adapted, chronic wet feet is a far more common cause of trouble than dryness; soil that never dries between waterings is the warning sign.

Too little water

Too little water shows as wilting, dull curling leaves, and some early leaf drop in a long dry spell, and smaller berries if it runs dry while the fruit is filling. An established mulberry shrugs off dry spells and usually bounces back; the tree itself is rarely killed by drought.Underwatering shows as wilting, dull curling leaves, and early leaf drop in a prolonged drought, and on the fruit as poor sizing during the fill period. An established mulberry tolerates real dry stress and usually recovers, but berries sized under drought stay small; the tree itself is rarely lost to dryness.

Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency

0-1x per year

Type

balanced granular (e.g. 10-10-10), sparingly

When to start

early spring as growth begins, only if growth is weak

Mulberry hardly ever needs feeding. It is a fast, vigorous tree that does fine on its own in most soils. If a young tree looks weak or the leaves are pale, scatter a little balanced fertilizer around the root zone in early spring and water it in. Do not overdo it, especially with nitrogen (the first number on the bag), because too much just makes leafy growth instead of fruit. Do not feed late in the year.Mulberry is a vigorous, undemanding tree that rarely needs feeding once established; on decent soil it grows fast on its own. If a young tree is weak or the leaves pale, apply a light broadcast of balanced fertilizer around the root zone in early spring and water it in. Avoid heavy nitrogen, which pushes rank, soft growth at the expense of fruit and can worsen bird-magnet leafiness. Never feed late in the season.

N · P · K = 10-10-10

A balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10 (the numbers are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) covers the rare time a mulberry needs feeding. Most mature trees need none at all. When in doubt, feed less, because too much nitrogen means leaves instead of fruit.A balanced ratio such as 10-10-10 is more than enough for the rare occasion a mulberry needs feeding. Mature trees typically need nothing; err on the side of underfeeding, since excess nitrogen (N) drives vegetative growth over fruit.

Try 10-10-10 balanced fertilizer

Who grows well together

Companion planting

Mulberry is self-fruitful, which means one named tree makes fruit on its own with no second tree needed (a few wild seedlings are single-sex, so buy a named fruiting variety and this never comes up). Because it is a big, fast tree, the things that matter are not vegetable-garden pairings but where you put it: keep grass and weeds pulled back from a young trunk so it establishes faster, and above all keep it away from paths, patios, driveways, and parked cars, because the dropped fruit stains everything it lands on. Under the dense canopy, lawn and most plants struggle from shade and shallow roots, so plan for mulch or shade-tolerant groundcover there. Mulberry is self-fruitful, so a single named tree fruits on its own without a pollinizer (a few wild seedlings are dioecious, but named cultivars sidestep that). The interactions that matter are about siting a large, vigorous tree, not classic vegetable companions: clear turf back from a young trunk to speed establishment, and site the tree well away from walkways, patios, driveways, and parking, since the abundant dropped fruit stains hard surfaces and gets tracked indoors. The dense canopy and shallow feeder roots make the ground beneath it a tough spot for lawn or bedding plants, so mulch it or use a shade-tolerant groundcover.

Other

Pollinator and beneficial-insect plants at the drip line

A skirt of flowering herbs and pollinator plants out toward the drip line supports orchard-floor beneficials and pollinators generally. Mulberry itself is wind-pollinated and self-fruitful, so this does nothing for fruit set, but the flowers recruit hoverflies, lacewings, and parasitic wasps that help keep the occasional whitefly or aphid in check. Keep them out toward the canopy edge rather than crowded against the trunk. Traditional

Keep apart from

Walkways, patios, driveways, and parking under the canopy The single most common mulberry regret is siting. A mature tree drops enormous quantities of soft, deep-purple fruit over a long season, and it stains concrete, pavers, decking, and vehicles, then gets tracked indoors on shoes and paws. Extension guidance is explicit: do not plant a mulberry over a driveway, sidewalk, patio, or parking spot. Give it an out-of-the-way lawn or wild-edge site where the drop and the birds it draws are a feature, not a cleanup problem. Research-backed

Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key

Harvest signals

When to pick

A mulberry is ripe when the berry turns fully dark purple-black (or the ripe color of your variety, some are white or pink), goes soft, tastes sweet, and comes off at the lightest touch. Ripe fruit almost falls into your hand or drops when you shake the branch. There is no picking firm and ripening later like a peach: you pick mulberries dead ripe, and they spoil fast, so pick into shallow containers and chill or freeze them the same day.A mulberry is ready when the berry reaches full deep purple-black (or the ripe color of its cultivar, some are white or pink), turns soft, tastes sweet, and detaches at the gentlest touch. Ripe fruit will practically fall into your hand or drop when the branch is shaken. Unlike stone fruit, there is no firm-pick-and-ripen stage: a mulberry is picked dead ripe and is extremely perishable, so harvest into shallow containers and refrigerate or freeze the same day.

Verified · 2 sources View

Yield

What to expect

A grown mulberry produces a huge amount of fruit, easily many gallons over several weeks, usually far more than one family can eat. How much you get depends mostly on the size of the tree and how much the birds take, not on feeding or thinning. The hard part is picking and using it all, not growing it.A mature standard mulberry is an extraordinarily heavy bearer, commonly yielding many gallons of fruit, on the order of tens of pounds and often far more than a household can use, ripening over several weeks. Yield is limited mainly by tree size and birds, not by feeding or thinning; the practical constraint is picking and using the crop, not growing it.

A mulberry reaches heavy production within a few years and keeps bearing for decades with only light pruning. Everbearing types spread the fruit over a long stretch; a full-size tree just gives you an overwhelming amount at peak.Trees reach heavy bearing within a few years and stay productive for decades, given only light annual pruning. A named everbearing cultivar spreads its crop over a long window; a standard tree simply overwhelms with fruit at peak. Do not expect much fruit the first year or two while the tree settles in. Some everbearing varieties give a little early, sometimes even the first year, but real crops start around years 2 to 3 and grow from there.Expect little to no fruit in the first year or two while the tree establishes. Some named everbearing cultivars set a light crop early, sometimes even the first year, but real production begins around years 2 to 3 and builds from there.

What changes yield

cultivar and mature sizetree age and establishmentbird pressurewater during fruit fillsite sun and drainageregional season length

Verified · 2 sources View

Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp

Mulberries do not keep on the counter. Ripe fruit gets soft and starts to spoil within a day, so eat them the day you pick them or put them in the fridge right away. They stain everything, so work over a bowl.Mulberries are extremely perishable and do not hold at room temperature; ripe fruit begins to soften and ferment within a day. Eat them the day they are picked, or refrigerate immediately. They also stain hands, cloth, and counters, so handle over a bowl.

Fridge

Keep ripe mulberries in the fridge, unwashed, in a shallow open container, and eat them within 2 to 3 days (wash them only right before eating). They spoil fast and bruise easily, which is why you almost never see them in a grocery store; a mulberry is a fruit you grow or pick yourself.Refrigerate ripe mulberries unwashed in a shallow, breathable container and use within 2 to 3 days; washing before storage hastens breakdown. Their very short shelf life (and how poorly they pack and ship) is exactly why mulberries are a home-grown and farmers-market fruit, rarely a grocery one.

Freezer

Mulberries freeze really well, which is the best way to deal with a big crop. Rinse them gently, drain and pat dry, spread them on a tray to freeze, then pack them into freezer bags. They keep for months and are great for baking, jam, syrup, and smoothies.Mulberries freeze very well. Rinse gently, drain and pat dry, freeze in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to freezer bags. Frozen berries keep for many months and are excellent for baking, jam, syrup, and smoothies. Freezing is the practical way to handle a heavy crop that ripens faster than you can eat it fresh.

Verified · 1 source View

When something goes wrong

Common problems

The tree is healthy but gives no fruitTree grows well but sets no fruit

01 of 04

What happened The tree grows fine but never fruits. Usually it is just young (mulberry starts fruiting around years 2 to 3), or it is a fruitless ornamental mulberry sold as a no-fruit shade tree, or, less often, a wild seedling that happens to be male, since a few mulberries have separate male and female trees. Named fruiting varieties fruit on their own. The fix is the plant, not how you care for it: buy a named FRUITING variety, and give a young tree another year or two.The tree is vigorous but never fruits. The usual causes are a young tree not yet of bearing age (mulberry typically starts around years 2 to 3), a fruitless ornamental mulberry (some are sold specifically as non-fruiting shade trees), or, less commonly, a single-sex seedling, since a few wild mulberries are dioecious with male and female flowers on separate trees. Named fruiting cultivars are self-fruitful and often parthenocarpic, so a lone one fruits on its own. The fix is the plant, not the care: buy a named FRUITING cultivar (not a fruitless ornamental), and give a young tree a couple more seasons. Next season Buy a named self-fruitful FRUITING variety like Illinois Everbearing or Dwarf Everbearing, avoid the fruitless ornamental kinds, and give a young tree time.Buy a named self-fruitful FRUITING cultivar (Illinois Everbearing, Dwarf Everbearing, and similar), avoid fruitless ornamentals, and be patient with a young tree.

Berries turn into hard popcorn-like lumpsBerries swell into hard, greenish popcorn-like lumps

02 of 04

What happened Some berries puff up hard and greenish like popcorn and never ripen. This is popcorn disease, a fungus (Ciboria carunculoides) most common in the South and on white mulberries and hybrids. No spray fixes it; you manage it by cleanup. Pick off and throw away the affected berries and clear the fallen fruit and debris under the tree, because that is where the fungus waits out the winter.Some berries swell abnormally, with segments enlarging and staying hard and greenish so the fruit looks like popcorn, and they never ripen. This is popcorn disease, the fungus Ciboria carunculoides, most common in the South and on white mulberries and their hybrids. There is no home spray; it is managed by sanitation. Remove and destroy affected fruit and clear the fallen fruit and debris beneath the tree, since that is where the fungus overwinters. Next season Clean up all the fallen and affected fruit each year to stop it spreading, and where the disease is common, pick a red mulberry or a tougher hybrid instead of the most susceptible white types.Clear all fallen and affected fruit each season to break the cycle, and where popcorn disease is common, favor a red mulberry or a more resistant hybrid over the most susceptible white types.

Purple stains all over paths and carsPurple stains on pavement, decking, and cars

03 of 04

What happened The ground, pavement, deck, or cars under the tree are stained deep purple, and it gets tracked inside. This is not a disease; it is just the normal heavy fruit drop of a productive mulberry, made worse by birds. It is really a placement problem. You cannot stop a big tree from dropping fruit, so plant future trees, and work around this one, well away from any hard surface, and think about a weeping or dwarf type that is easier to net and pick.The ground, pavement, decking, or vehicles under the tree are stained deep purple, and the stains track indoors. This is not a disease; it is the normal, heavy fruit drop of a productive mulberry, made worse by birds. It is almost always a siting problem. The corrective action is placement: a mature tree cannot be stopped from dropping fruit, so plant future trees, and manage this one, well away from any hard surface, and consider a weeping or dwarf form that is easier to net and harvest. Next season Plant mulberries away from paths, patios, driveways, and parking; for a small yard pick a dwarf or weeping variety you can net and pick clean.Site mulberries away from walkways, patios, drives, and parking; for a small space choose a dwarf or weeping cultivar you can net and pick clean.

Baby mulberries sprouting all overMulberry seedlings coming up everywhere

04 of 04

What happened Little mulberry seedlings keep popping up around the yard and in beds, spread by birds eating the fruit. White mulberry especially self-seeds a lot and is considered weedy or invasive in some areas. The fix is simple: pull the seedlings while they are small, and if invasiveness is a worry where you live, choose a named, less weedy variety.Young mulberry seedlings appear across the yard and in beds, spread by birds eating the fruit. White mulberry in particular self-seeds readily and is considered weedy or invasive in some regions (a noxious weed in a few states). The fix is routine: pull seedlings while small, and where invasiveness is a concern choose a named, less weedy cultivar (and note that some fruitless ornamental selections were, ironically, planted to avoid exactly this). Next season Pull the seedlings while small, keep the fallen fruit cleaned up, and if invasiveness is a concern where you live, plant a named variety rather than a wild seedling.Pull seedlings while small, keep fruit cleaned up, and where invasiveness is a local concern choose a named cultivar rather than a wild seedling.

The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests

Birds

P · 01

Symptoms Birds strip the ripe berries fast. You will see missing fruit, half-eaten berries, and purple bird droppings under and around the tree. Big flocks can show up daily while the fruit ripens.Ripe and near-ripe berries disappear, half-eaten fruit and purple droppings appear on the ground and on nearby surfaces, and flocks work the tree through the ripening weeks. On a large tree the loss is simply shared; on a small or netted tree it can be nearly total if not managed. Cause Lots of birds love sweet, soft mulberries and eat them as they ripen; catbirds, mockingbirds and cedar waxwings are the ones extension names. Expect the wildlife to take a share of the crop. That is also what makes a mulberry such a good tree for attracting birds.Many birds are drawn to the sweet, soft fruit and feed on it as it ripens; NC State singles out gray catbirds and northern mockingbirds, and Arkansas extension records cedar waxwings feasting on the berries. Visiting wildlife will reduce the harvest for your own use, and that is a feature as much as a pest: a mulberry is a tree NC State lists for attracting songbirds, with foxes, opossums, squirrels and raccoons on the same guest list. Organic treatment For a small tree, cover it with bird netting when the first berries start to color, and pick ripe fruit every day so there is less left for the birds. A big tree is too large to net, so the usual approach is to accept that you are sharing, or even to let the mulberry act as a decoy that keeps birds off your other fruit.For a small tree, drape bird netting over it as the first berries color, and harvest ripe fruit promptly each day so less hangs available. For a large tree, netting is impractical; the traditional answer is to plant enough that there is plenty to share, and some growers deliberately keep a mulberry as a decoy to lure birds away from cherries and other prized fruit. Prevention You cannot really keep birds off a big mulberry, so plan on sharing; luckily the tree makes far more fruit than you can eat. Only bother netting small or dwarf trees, and pick ripe fruit quickly.There is no way to keep birds off a large mulberry, so plan the siting and the crop around sharing: a big tree yields far more than a household can use. Net only small or dwarf trees, and pick promptly.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Bird scare deterrents

Shiny ribbon and scare balloons are the cheap first try. Hang them in the tree as the fruit starts to color and keep moving them to new spots and swapping them around, because birds are smart and stop reacting to anything that stays put. Expect this to save some fruit for a while, not to protect the crop by itself.Michigan State's fruit guidance lists reflective ribbon and scare balloons among the harassment tools and adds the catch in the same breath: birds are intelligent and become habituated if the devices are not varied or moved frequently. On a tree NC State says gray catbirds and northern mockingbirds are especially fond of, treat this as a short reprieve that covers the fruit you can reach, not a season-long control.
Bird netting

Netting is what actually keeps the fruit, on a tree you can cover. Put the net over a frame rather than straight onto the branches, since birds peck fruit right through net that lies on the leaves, and pin the bottom edge to the ground or they walk in underneath. Have it up before the berries start to color in late spring. If your mulberry has outgrown what you can net, the extension answer is honest: a good sized tree carries enough fruit for you and the birds both.Michigan State rates netting the most effective means of preventing bird damage to fruit and lists the failure modes beside it: a net merely draped over the plant lets birds feed through it and pulls fruit off when it is removed, and an unanchored skirt lets them in underneath, so carry it on a frame, anchor it to the ground and keep it maintained. Mulberry fruit displays from May to June, so the net goes on ahead of color, not after the first raid. Where the tree is past netting, UF/IFAS puts the trade plainly: visiting creatures reduce the harvest for your own use, but a good sized tree leaves enough for all.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Whiteflies

P · 02

Symptoms Tiny white flies rise up off the undersides of the leaves when you brush the branches, sometimes leaving a sticky film and black sooty mold below. They rarely bother an established tree much.Tiny white flying insects lift off the undersides of leaves when disturbed, sometimes with sticky honeydew and sooty mold on lower foliage in a heavy infestation. Vigor is rarely affected on an established tree. Cause Whiteflies are small sap-sucking insects that gather under the leaves. They show up on mulberry fairly often but rarely do real harm.Whiteflies (including the mulberry whitefly) are sap-feeders that colonize leaf undersides. They are a common but minor mulberry pest and mostly a cosmetic nuisance. Organic treatment A healthy tree does not need treatment. On a small tree with a lot of them, spray the undersides of the leaves with a strong jet of water or insecticidal soap, and welcome the ladybugs and lacewings that eat them.A healthy tree needs no treatment. If numbers are high on a small tree, a strong water spray to the leaf undersides or an insecticidal-soap application knocks them back; encourage the lacewings and ladybugs that prey on them. Prevention Outdoors, the ladybugs, lacewings and tiny wasps that eat whiteflies usually keep them under control on their own. The best prevention is to leave those helpers alone: no harsh sprays, and keep ants and dust off the tree. The same whitefly lives on hollies, dogwoods, maples and other yard trees, so it can arrive from next door.Natural enemies usually hold whiteflies in check outdoors: UC IPM names lacewings and lady beetles, and parasitic mini-wasps leave circular exit holes in the nymphs they kill. Protecting them is the prevention, so avoid broad spectrum pesticides such as pyrethroids, organophosphates or neonicotinoids, and keep dust and ants down, since both protect whiteflies from their enemies. The mulberry whitefly also lives on American holly, boxelder, flowering dogwood, maples, citrus and wax myrtle, so neighboring landscape plants can be where a colony comes from.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Garden sanitation

Most of the time you do not need to do anything: on mulberry these whiteflies are more of a curiosity than a pest. If you spot the first few leaves carrying the young stages, tiny shiny black specks with a white fringe stuck to the underside, cut those few leaves out and drop them in the garbage before the colony gets going.NC State's bar is that treatment is probably unnecessary unless the whiteflies become tremendously abundant, so the opening move is removal, not spraying. UC IPM's instruction is to prune out isolated infested leaves when you first detect them; the nymphs stay in the spot where they settled until the new adults emerge a month or more later, so a leaf carrying the black, white-fringed nymphs takes that whole cohort with it. Check the undersides, which is where they sit.
Water spray

Turn the hose up under the leaves with enough force to blast the winged adults loose. Morning is the time for it, so the wet foliage has the day to dry.UC IPM's physical step is a strong stream of water that hoses the adults off. It thins the flying stage rather than clearing the leaf: the settled nymphs stay put once they have fixed themselves to the underside, and the eggs the adults have already laid hatch about two weeks later, so aim at the undersides and repeat as new adults show.
Beneficial predators

Lacewings, ladybugs and tiny wasps eat whiteflies and usually keep them in check outdoors without any help from you. The main job is not to spray anything harsh that kills those helpers, and to keep ants and dust off the tree, since both get in the helpers' way.UC IPM names lacewings and lady beetles among the natural enemies that help control whiteflies and says to look for the circular holes in nymphs that mark parasitization by mini-wasps. Conserving them is the whole of this step: avoid broad spectrum pesticides, pyrethroids, organophosphates and neonicotinoids by name, and control the dust and ants that protect whiteflies from their enemies, a point UC IPM makes for citrus and other trees in particular.
Insecticidal soap

If the whiteflies ever get really thick, insecticidal soap sprayed onto the undersides of the leaves works well on the adults. Spray only when the tree is not short of water and the temperature is under 90°F, or the leaves can scorch, and wear gloves and eye protection when you mix it.NC State's read is that the mulberry whitefly is not particularly resistant to pesticides and that insecticidal soaps work well on the adults; the nymphs are the stage soap reaches less well, and horticultural oil is the material NC State names for them. Soap is contact only with no residual, so underside coverage and a repeat as new adults emerge are what make it work. UC IPM's limits: apply only when plants are not drought-stressed and temperatures are under 90°F. Hold it for a tree that is tremendously infested, which is NC State's own threshold.
Horticultural oil

Horticultural oil is the spray for the young stages, the little black specks stuck to the undersides. Coat the undersides well, save it for days under 90°F when the tree is not drought-stressed, and never let it land on open flowers, where bees would take the hit.NC State's pairing is soap for the adults and horticultural oil for the nymphs, which it expects to give some control. Oil smothers what it coats and nothing else, so the undersides are the target and thoroughness is the dose. The weather rule is the same as for soap, under 90°F and never on a water-stressed tree, and UC IPM's bee precaution applies: keep it clear of anything in flower.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Borers

P · 03

Symptoms Small holes, sawdust-like frass, or oozing on the trunk or big branches, mostly on trees that are already stressed or damaged. A healthy tree is rarely bothered.Small entry holes, frass, or oozing on the trunk and larger limbs, usually on trees already stressed by drought, injury, or decline. Healthy, vigorous mulberries are seldom attacked. Cause Borers are insect grubs that tunnel inside wood. They can be a problem on mulberry, especially in the South. The sources for this tree do not say which kinds, or whether a healthy tree is any safer, so this entry covers them as a group.Borers, wood-boring insect larvae, can be a problem on mulberry, particularly in the South. That is as far as the extension sources for this tree go: none names the species involved, and none says whether they favor stressed trees, so this entry covers the group rather than one named insect. Organic treatment The best fix is a healthy tree: water it in droughts, keep mowers and trimmers off the trunk, and cut out and destroy any dead or infested branches. Once larvae are inside the wood, no spray reaches them.The durable control is tree health: water through droughts, avoid trunk wounds from mowers and trimmers, and prune out and destroy any dead or infested wood. There is no practical rescue spray for larvae already tunneling inside. Prevention Keep the tree healthy and avoid wounding the trunk. A well-placed, watered mulberry rarely has borer trouble.Keep the tree vigorous and unwounded. A well-sited, adequately watered mulberry rarely gives borers an opening.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Garden sanitation

None of the sources this entry can cite gives a way to control borers on a mulberry. NC State says borers can be a problem on this tree, particularly in the South, and says nothing about what to do. Clearing dead wood off and around the tree is ordinary tree care, and nothing published for mulberry says it stops borers, so treat it as housekeeping, not a cure.The admissible literature on mulberry borers is two NC State toolbox sentences, that borers may be a problem, particularly in the South, and that borers and whiteflies can be problems; neither names a species and neither gives a control, and no other cited document covers borers on this tree at all. Sanitation has no documented target on a mulberry borer. Removing dead and dying wood is general tree care with no published effect on this problem for this crop, and a grower who wants a program has nothing cited to build one from.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Diseases

Popcorn disease

D · 01

Symptoms Some berries grow oddly, with the little segments puffing up hard and greenish so the fruit looks like tiny popcorn instead of a soft berry. Those berries never ripen right and hang on the tree.Some berries on the tree swell up abnormally, with individual segments (carpels) enlarging and staying hard and greenish, so the fruit looks like a little cluster of popcorn kernels instead of a normal soft berry. Affected fruit does not ripen properly and clings to the tree. Cause Popcorn disease is a fungus (Ciboria carunculoides) that gets into the developing fruit and makes it swell into hard, popcorn-like lumps. It mostly shows up in the South, and white mulberries and hybrids catch it most. It is usually minor but can cost you fruit on a tree you grow for eating.Popcorn disease is caused by the fungus Ciboria carunculoides, which infects the developing fruit and turns the carpels into hard sclerotia. It is largely a southern problem, and white mulberries and their hybrids are the most susceptible; it is usually of minor importance but can cause real fruit loss on trees grown for eating. Organic treatment No home spray fixes it. The control is cleanup: pick off and bury or throw away the affected berries, and rake up and bury or bin the fallen fruit under the tree, and keep doing it through the season.There is no home spray that cures it. Control is sanitation: as the disease appears, remove and bury or destroy the affected fruit on the tree, and gather and bury or discard the fallen fruit and debris beneath it, repeating through the growing season. Prevention Keep picking off the puffy diseased berries and cleaning up what falls under the tree all season, and bury or bin it. If popcorn disease is common where you live, a red or black mulberry is less likely to get it than a white mulberry or a hybrid.Sanitation through the growing season is the prevention: remove infected fruit from the tree, and fallen fruit and debris from the ground, as it appears, and bury or destroy it. Where popcorn disease is a known local problem, red or black mulberries are less susceptible than white mulberry varieties and their hybrids.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Resistant varieties

If you are still choosing a tree and popcorn disease shows up in your area, know that white mulberries and their hybrids catch it more than red or black mulberries do. No source names a resistant variety, so this tilts the odds rather than settling them.The susceptibility gradient is published; a resistant cultivar is not. Oklahoma State and the Arkansas extension plant clinic both put white mulberry varieties and hybrids in the more susceptible class, and Arkansas names red or black mulberries as the less susceptible side. Hybrids sit with white mulberry on the susceptible side, so a cultivar's parentage is what to check, and the choice is made at planting.
Garden sanitation

There is no spray that fixes popcorn disease; cleanup is the control. Through the season, as the puffy, hard berries show up, pick them off the tree and gather what falls, then bury them or bag them up for the garbage. Do not leave them lying under the tree.Every source that manages this disease manages it the same way. Oklahoma State: remove and bury the infected fruit on the trees and any ground debris as it appears during the growing season. Arkansas: remove all the spent fruit from the tree and from under it and destroy it, and clean up any diseased fruit still hanging. The symptoms are fruit-only, so scouting runs from fruit set through ripening, and the job repeats as new fruit turns rather than being done once.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Bacterial blight

D · 02

Symptoms Leaves get spots that look wet, then sink in and turn black, and the leaves can twist out of shape. Young shoots get black streaks, and the leaves at the branch tips wilt and dry up. It can kill leaves and whole branches.Water-soaked spots appear on the leaves and later become sunken and black, leaves distort, young shoots show black stripes, and the leaves at the twig tips wilt and dry up. It can kill foliage and branches. Cause Bacterial blight is caused by a bacterium (Pseudomonas syringae pv. mori) that attacks the leaves and young shoots. It can kill leaves and branches, and the Texas advice for controlling it is aimed at young trees.Bacterial blight is caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. mori, which attacks the leaves and shoots. NC State's verdict is that it may kill foliage and branches, and Texas A&M's plant disease handbook scopes its control advice to young trees. Organic treatment In the fall, cut out the dead, blackened shoots, going back into healthy wood, and get rid of the prunings; Texas A&M says this gives some control on young trees. Keep sprinklers from wetting the lower branches, and thin out a crowded tree so the leaves dry faster after rain, which is what Oklahoma State advises for leaf diseases on yard trees.Prune out the dead, blighted shoots in autumn, cutting back into sound wood, and destroy the prunings; Texas A&M's plant disease handbook says this gives some control on young trees, and it also mentions spraying with approved fungicides but names no product. Oklahoma State's guidance for the leaf diseases it covers, this blight among them, adds two cultural measures: avoid irrigation methods that wet the lower canopy, and consider thinning the canopy for greater air circulation, which reduces periods of leaf wetness. Prevention Cut out dead, blighted shoots each fall, especially on a young tree, where Texas A&M says it helps. Keep sprinklers off the lower branches and thin out a crowded canopy so the leaves dry quickly after rain, which is Oklahoma State's advice for leaf diseases on yard trees. The disease can kill leaves and branches, so do not wait it out.Texas A&M's plant disease handbook gives autumn pruning of dead, blighted shoots, and scopes the benefit to young trees. Oklahoma State's control guidance for the leaf diseases it describes, this blight included, adds keeping irrigation off the lower canopy and thinning the canopy for air circulation, both aimed at shortening the periods of leaf wetness. NC State's warning that the disease may kill foliage and branches is the reason not to skip any of it on a young tree.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Water at the base

If the tree gets irrigated, keep the water on the ground and out of the lower branches. Oklahoma State's advice for leaf diseases like this one is not to use a sprinkler that soaks the low leaves, because the disease starts on leaves that stay wet, and a sprinkler keeps them wet longer than the weather would. Rain is out of your hands; the sprinkler is not.Oklahoma State's shade-tree leaf-disease sheet, which carries the mulberry blight description, says in its control guidance to avoid irrigation methods that wet the lower canopy of the tree. The bacterium's first sign is a water-soaked spot, and the lower canopy is the part a lawn sprinkler reaches, so irrigation placement is the one leaf-wetting input a grower controls. It prevents rather than treats, and in a wet spell the weather supplies the wetness anyway; the measure counts most where a sprinkler would otherwise be the only thing keeping the low leaves wet.
Airflow spacing

Thin out a crowded tree so wind can pass through it and the leaves dry sooner after rain. This blight takes hold on wet leaves, and Oklahoma State's suggestion for leaf diseases on yard trees is exactly this: open the canopy so the leaves spend less time wet. It will not clear shoots that are already black; it makes the tree a poorer place for the next round to start.The same Oklahoma State control guidance says to consider thinning the canopy to allow greater air circulation, which reduces periods of leaf wetness. That is a general instruction for the leaf diseases the sheet covers, mulberry's blight among them, not a mulberry-specific program, and it acts on the condition the bacterium needs rather than on the bacterium: the spots begin water-soaked, so shortening how long foliage stays wet is the point. Thinning is preventive; it lowers the chance of new infection and does nothing for the striped shoots and dead twig tips already present, which autumn pruning handles.
Prune out infection

In the fall, cut out the dead, blackened shoots, going back into healthy wood so nothing blighted is left on the branch, and get the prunings away from the tree. That is the step Texas A&M gives, and it says it gives some control on young trees.The Texas A&M plant disease handbook's control sentence for this disease is specific: some control is obtainable on young trees by pruning dead shoots in autumn. Take each blighted shoot back into sound wood below the black striping and destroy the prunings. The benefit is scoped to young trees, and the timing given is autumn, not dry weather; the same sentence adds spraying with approved fungicides but names no product.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Leaf spots and minor foliar diseases

D · 03

Symptoms Reddish-brown spots on the leaves in a rainy year, or whitish cobwebby or powdery patches on the undersides from midsummer. In a bad year the tree can drop a lot of leaves, especially an older tree or one in the South.Reddish-brown fungal leaf spots in very rainy seasons, or whitish, indefinite patches on the leaf undersides from July (false mildew), or a white powdery coating on the lower leaf surface (powdery mildew). Leaf drop can be heavy: the Cercosporella spot can defoliate older trees, and false mildew can hit southern foliage severely. Cause A few leaf fungi, leaf spots and mildews, can mark mulberry leaves, mostly in wet weather and from midsummer on. In a bad year they can do more than mark the leaves: one of the leaf spots can strip an older tree of its leaves, and in the South the white cobwebby mildew can hit the foliage hard.A group of leaf fungi can spot or coat mulberry foliage: Cercospora and Cercosporella leaf spots, false mildew (Mycosphaerella mori) and two powdery mildews. The spots come in very rainy seasons and the false mildew appears in July. They are not all trivial: Texas A&M notes the Cercosporella fungus can defoliate older trees, and that foliage in the southern states may suffer severely from false mildew. Organic treatment A healthy tree rarely needs treatment. Rake up and remove the fallen leaves in fall, because the mildew fungus lives through the winter on them. Keep sprinklers off the low branches and thin a crowded tree so the leaves dry off faster, and feed and water a tree that gets hit every year so it stays vigorous. Sprays are only for special trees with a bad, repeated problem.Treatment is seldom needed. Rake and remove fallen leaves in autumn, since the false mildew overwinters on them and its spring stage matures there. Oklahoma State's guidance for yard-tree leaf diseases adds three things: avoid irrigation methods that wet the lower canopy, consider thinning the canopy for greater air circulation to reduce periods of leaf wetness, and keep a tree that is hit every season fertilized and watered to maintain vigor. Fungicides are for valuable specimens when leaf spots are serious, which is where Texas A&M puts them. Prevention Cleaning up the fallen leaves every fall is the main prevention, because the fungus waits out the winter on them. Thin a crowded tree so the leaves dry faster and keep sprinklers off the low branches, which is what Oklahoma State advises for leaf diseases on yard trees. If the tree gets it every year, keep it fed and watered so it stays strong, and feed it when it is dormant in late winter rather than in early fall.Autumn leaf cleanup is the prevention the sources put first: the false mildew's overwintering stage matures on fallen leaves in spring, and Oklahoma State's general rule for yard-tree leaf diseases is to gather and destroy fallen, infected leaves. The same OSU guidance adds thinning the canopy for greater air circulation, which reduces periods of leaf wetness, and keeping irrigation off the lower canopy. On a tree affected every season, keep it well fertilized and watered to maintain vigor, fertilizing only once the tree is dormant, not in early fall.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Garden sanitation

Rake up all the fallen leaves in the fall and get rid of them, by burning where that is allowed or by bagging them for the trash, not by leaving them under the tree. The fungus behind the white cobwebby patches lives through the winter on those fallen leaves and comes back from them in spring, so the cleanup is what breaks the cycle.Texas A&M's instruction for false mildew is to gather and burn all fallen leaves in autumn, and the reason is in the same entry: the infected leaves fall, and the overwintering (ascocarpic) stage matures on them in spring. Oklahoma State generalizes it: most leaf diseases of yard trees are controlled by gathering and destroying fallen, infected leaves, and the Cercospora and Cercosporella spots and the two powdery mildews share that cleanup. On a tree hit every season, OSU adds keeping it well fertilized and watered to maintain vigor, fertilizing only once it is dormant rather than in early fall.
Water at the base

Aim the water at the soil, not up into the leaves. These spots and mildews come on in wet weather because they need damp leaves, and a sprinkler that reaches the low branches keeps those leaves damp on days the weather would have left them dry. It will not clean up a tree that is already spotted; it takes away one wet spell you can control.Oklahoma State's control guidance for yard-tree leaf diseases, which covers its mulberry Cercospora and Cercosporella paragraph, is to avoid irrigation methods that wet the lower canopy of the tree. Both Texas A&M and Oklahoma State tie these spots to rainy weather, so irrigation is the only leaf-wetting a grower can subtract; a sprinkler that reaches the lower limbs adds leaf-wetness hours on top of what the season brings. Preventive only, and worth least in a wet season when the rain is doing the same job.
Airflow spacing

Cut out some of the crowded or crossing branches so the tree is less dense and its leaves dry off faster after rain and dew. Oklahoma State suggests this for leaf diseases on yard trees, mulberry's included, because these fungi need the leaves to stay wet for a while before they can get going. Do it as prevention; it will not clear spots already on the leaves.Oklahoma State's control guidance, in the same section as its rake-up and vigor sentences, is to consider thinning the canopy to allow greater air circulation, which reduces periods of leaf wetness. It is a general instruction for the leaf diseases the sheet covers rather than anything mulberry-specific, and it addresses the rainy-season condition both sheets name for these spots: false mildew sporulates from the leaf undersides from July on, and a canopy that ventilates keeps that surface wet for less of each day. Thinning lowers pressure ahead of infection; it does not stop an outbreak already on the leaves, and when leaf spots are serious, Texas A&M's answer is fungicide on valuable specimens.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Verified · 7 sources View

Read the full methodology →

Spot a data point that doesn't match your experience? Submit a correction; accepted corrections earn full author credit on the page.

Mulberry

Will it actually fruit here?

Your mulberry year, month by month

Will your winter be cold enough?

One tree is usually enough

Recommended varieties

How big will it get?

The growing journey

Care guide

Yes, compact types only, 15 gallons and up

Soil pH for mulberry

Watering

Feeding

Companion planting

When to pick

What to expect

Storing your harvest

Common problems

Pests & diseases

Crop rotation

Common questions

Got a question we missed?

Share a tip

Report a problem

Methodology & sources

Growing notes, weekly.