Just after the fourth of July I was walking. It was hot. I noticed the sidewalk was purple in places with purple globs all over it. Mulberries!
Mulberries
I looked around. The bush/tree was on the edge of the right-of-way of a railroad track. I stood there and ate the berries right off the bush until my thirst was satisfied. Mmmm.
Mulberry trees are all over Minneapolis. No doubt some were planted by settlers but perhaps many more have been planted by birds.
Birds love mulberries. Plant as a decoy if you are trying to grow blueberries or raspberries. Apparently the birds will choose mulberries over any other berry.
Fast forward to today. Again, I’m walking. I notice the purple sidewalk. Different location. Mulberries.
A month later?
Turns out mulberries can have a very long bearing season. June through September for some varieties. Mulberries belong to the genus morus and are either white, red, or black. The blossom color determines which variety they are.
Unripe mulberry
While some varieties of mulberry have white berries, the majority start out pink, blush to red, then finally turn deep purple when ripe.
After the first mulberry tree I saw today, I started seeing them everywhere. Those growing in full sun were nearly finished fruiting. In one case the branches contained only a few fruits and the purple sidewalk had started to fade. Mulberries growing in shade to part shade were fruiting like crazy! Their branches were loaded with red berries with just a few already turned to purple.
Mulberries are easy to grow. Few pests bother them and they’re relatively drought resistant. They can be pruned into a bush or left to grow to a height of 50 feet or more. The downside is the berries dropping for a few weeks or longer. The juice is notorious for staining, permanently.
I want my own mulberry. I’m dying to try making mulberry wine. An acquaintance once gave me homemade mulberry jam. Ever since then I’ve wanted my own tree from which to make wine.
Didn’t the two “aunts” in Arsenic and Old Lace drink mulberry wine?
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