Mulberries

Mulberries are among the easiest tree fruits to grow in the Ozarks and most of the United States.  The trees are very fast growers, come into bearing very quickly, and require almost no care (deer control will be necessary for the first couple of years).  There are three limitations of the native red mulberry and they are 1) the fruit is sweet but, otherwise, without much character, 2) the season is very short, and 3) the fruit is usually quite small .  Our one named variety, Illinois Everbearing, corrects all of those traits: it is very sweet but also has just a touch of tartness to keep things interesting, it bears fruit, most years, from May to September, and individual fruits are usually 1.5″ long !!  Perhaps this is because of hybrid vigor since Illinois Everbearing is a natural cross of the red (Morus rubra) and white (Morus alba).

One last thing about mulberries in general and that is that they are excellent livestock feed.  Chickens and pigs, especially love them, and old USDA research from the 1930s indicate that mulberries put weight on pigs better than corn!