Mulberry Tree - More Than Just Home to Silkworms

In short: Black mulberry (Morus nigra) is an undemanding deciduous tree that survives frost down to roughly -29 °C and reaches about 10 m. It is self-pollinating, so a single plant sets fruit; the raspberry-like berries ripen from mid-summer and must be processed quickly because they spoil fast.

The mulberry tree is better known in connection with the silkworm and the production of real silk. Finding silkworm caterpillars that would produce silk threads is quite difficult, which is why the mulberry tree serves more of an ornamental function in our conditions. Its very tasty fruits resembling raspberries are not to be overlooked.

The mulberry tree survives even in our climatic conditions, withstanding frost down to approximately -29°C.

In this article you can read about: Black mulberry, mulberry and silk, cultivation, medicinal effects, use of fruits, homemade ice cream

Black Mulberry

Black mulberry (lat. Morus nigra) belongs to the mulberry family (lat. Moraceae) of plants. Besides the black mulberry, you can also encounter the white mulberry (lat. Morus alba) and the red mulberry (lat. Morus rubra). By crossing the black and red mulberry, the Trnava mulberry was bred (lat. Morus trnaviensis).

The black mulberry commonly reaches a height of approximately 10 m, which is less than its two relatives, which is why it appears more often in gardens and parks. The black mulberry is a deciduous shrub. The bark of the black mulberry is frosted, with a light green color when young.

Older trees have cracked light brownish-gray bark. The leaves are palmate-shaped with serrated edges, the underside is felted. The black mulberry blooms in May and June.

The fruits are small, dark purple to black, and visually resemble overgrown raspberries. The fruits ripen gradually, ripe fruits fall off. In terms of taste, the fruits are sweet and gently fragrant.

Mulberry and Silk

The mulberry tree has been connected with real silk since ancient times. It's no wonder, silkworm caterpillars (lat. Bombyx mori) feed exclusively on white mulberry leaves.

In China, the production of silk from the threads of the nocturnal silkworm moth has been known for more than 5000 years. When visiting China, you will find this rare moth only with difficulty, as it is now bred exclusively on farms specialized in silk production worldwide.

What does the silkworm look like? Adult specimens are very inconspicuous, white-haired moths about 5 cm in size. Unlike most moths, they cannot fly or consume food. During their lifetime, they only lay eggs from which caterpillars soon hatch.

These very voracious caterpillars are the producers of silk fiber. The insatiable caterpillars must shed their skin several times, and just before pupating, they begin to create a cocoon from pure silk fiber. The silk fiber is produced by salivary glands.

One cocoon is created from a 300 - 900 m long fiber. The wound cocoons with pupated caterpillars are collected and heated. The caterpillars are killed by high temperature and the cocoon can be unwound and sent for further processing. The production of silk from silk fiber is very complex, which is why it no longer has the same significance as in the past, with synthetically produced fibers coming to the forefront. Real silk is still highly valued today and luxury clothing models are made from it.

Growing Black Mulberry

Black mulberry can be grown without problems in gardens in our climatic conditions, it thrives better in warmer areas. Mulberry is undemanding regarding soil composition and tolerates drier locations. It does not tolerate wetlands. You can plant the trees in sunny or slightly shaded locations.

Mulberries are sensitive to severe frosts, so plant them in a protected location. Mulberries can be grown as classic trees with tall trunks. Through pruning, it is possible to shape a tree with a lower trunk from which fruits can be harvested more easily. Older plants have their crowns thinned by pruning at the end of winter as needed.

The plants are self-pollinating, so you will get fruits even with a single plant in the garden. The elongated fruits begin to ripen from approximately mid-summer onwards.

Fully ripe fruits are black, shiny, and can be easily picked. After ripening, the fruits fall off very quickly. Ripe fruits have a pleasantly sweet taste. Harvested fruits must be processed quickly because they spoil very soon. Mulberries are most commonly used to make jams, juices, compotes, and of course they can also be consumed fresh.

Medicinal Effects of Mulberry

The entire mulberry tree is medicinal. A decoction is made from the leaves for colds, the fruits have beneficial effects on the kidneys and urinary tract. The fruits can also be used against premature graying of hair. The roots are used as support in fighting asthma, hypertension, and diabetes.

Mulberries are a rich source of iron, which has a beneficial effect on red blood cells. Consumption of mulberries is therefore a prevention against anemia. The content of vitamin C and resveratrol, which is an antioxidant with detoxifying effects, is noteworthy. Besides dark mulberries, it is found in red wine.

Uses of Mulberries

In the past, the uses of mulberries were much broader. Mulberry juice was used for dyeing fabrics, and the fruits were dried.

Today, mulberries are mainly used to make delicious jams, compotes and juices. Preparing compotes, jams and juice from mulberries is very simple and exactly the same as with other similar fruits. Mulberries can of course also be used in cakes, desserts or as decoration for fruit parfaits...

Have You Tried Mulberry Ice Cream?

Making mulberry ice cream is very simple. For preparation you will need approximately 200 g of mulberries, whipping cream (33%), 300 g of thick plain yogurt, 70 g of sugar and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Put all ingredients into a bowl, blend and pour into an ice cream maker.

Enjoy!

Written by LenkaZ