White Mulberry
Morus alba · Moraceae
📷 GerardM · CC BY-SA 2.1 es
The gardener's calendar
In autumn, ease off feeding and take the chance to clean up around white mulberry and prepare for winter.
ID card
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Flowering
- April to May
- Adult size
- Up to 10 m in height
- Growth
- Fast
- Hardiness
- Very hardy (-20 °C)
- Origin
- Central and Eastern Asia
- Soil type
- Undemanding, tolerates most soils
- Edibility
- Edible and flavorful fruits
✓ Taxonomy verifiedSource: AI estimate · hardiness: reliability high.
Expert tips
The key tip
White mulberry takes it easy once planted: low water and soil demands. Prune lightly in late winter to open up the canopy and boost fruit yield.
The common mistake
Overloading it with nitrogen fertilizer, which creates soft, unproductive shoots.
The pro's trick
Easy harvesting: spread a white sheet under the mulberry tree and gently shake the branches.
Care
Sunlight
Plant your white mulberry in full sun for optimal fruiting and vigorous growth. It tolerates partial shade, however, producing fewer fruits. Avoid excessively windy areas that could damage the branches.
Watering
Water regularly during the growing season, especially in the first two years after planting. Once established, white mulberry handles drought well thanks to its deep roots. During very hot summers, increase watering frequency to promote fruiting.
Soil and planting
White mulberry adapts to most soils, including chalky ones. Improve poor soil by incorporating compost at planting time. Ensure good drainage to prevent root suffocation, which is particularly important in clay soil.
Pruning and training
Prune lightly in winter or late autumn to maintain shape and improve air circulation. Remove dead, diseased, or poorly oriented branches. Moderate pruning stimulates better branching and makes fruit harvesting easier without weakening the tree.
Fertilizing
An annual application of well-decomposed compost at the base is sufficient for an established white mulberry. In poor soil, apply balanced fertilizer in spring. Avoid excess nitrogen, which promotes foliage at the expense of fruiting.
Health and pests
White mulberry is generally robust and rarely susceptible to disease. Watch for aphids or mites if foliage becomes dry. Good air circulation and proper pruning hygiene reduce the risk of rot or fungal issues.
Did you know?
The white mulberry is historically linked to silk production: in ancient China, its leaves were the sole diet of silkworms, explaining its domestication over 4000 years ago. Today, the world's largest white mulberry fruit producers are still found in Asia, where this tree remains a symbol of agricultural prosperity and sustainability.
Where to buy it
Best planted in autumn so the roots settle in before summer, or in early spring once the frost has passed. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: March, October, November.
Add this plant to my garden →Plants from the same family
- Fig treeFicus carica
- Osage orangeMaclura pomifera
- Red mulberryMorus rubra
- Rubber plantFicus elastica
- Black mulberryMorus nigra
- Korean mulberryMorus indica
Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.