Black Mulberry

Black Mulberry (Morus nigra) is the fruit tree people remember from childhood backyards, and it still earns the space. It grows quickly to about 7m tall and 6m wide, casting the kind of deep summer shade you can put a table under, and from late spring it hangs with dark berries too soft to ever reach a supermarket shelf.

Why you'll love it

• Fruit the shops cannot stock. Ripe black mulberries collapse in transit, so the sweet, wine dark fruit is reserved for people who grow their own.
• A working shade tree. The broad 6m canopy cools a lawn or entertaining area while it feeds the household.
• Tough across the country. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and wind tolerant, from subtropical yards to cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens.
• Fast to deliver. A quick grower, so the shade and the harvest both arrive sooner than you expect.
• Autumn colour. The foliage turns before dropping, a quiet final act after the fruit is done.

Where it works best

A shade tree with room to work. Give it an open lawn, a back corner or the edge of a chook run where the canopy can spread to its full 6m and dropped fruit feeds the ground.

Placement matters. Be honest about its two habits before you dig: the surface roots are vigorous and the ripe fruit stains, so keep it well away from paving, pipes, pools and the washing line. This is a tree for open ground, not courtyards.

The family orchard. As a feature tree in a productive garden it anchors everything else, and children strip the low branches every season.

Growing Black Mulberry in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun in any subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate or Mediterranean garden. It is frost hardy, so cold winters are no obstacle, and summer heat suits it equally well.

Soil. Deep and free draining is ideal, but it forgives most soils. Dig compost through the planting area and mulch a wide circle to get it away fast.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then only in long dry spells; established trees are drought tolerant. Feed with a complete fertiliser in late winter as the buds swell.

Pruning. It responds very well to hard winter pruning, which is the secret to keeping it manageable. Prune when fully bare, and it will fruit on the new season's growth without missing a year.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Black Mulberry in three forms: 5L pots as an affordable young tree, 200mm pots in a pack of six for a boundary row or a shared order, and 45L advanced trees that bring shade and fruiting age forward. Being deciduous, winter deliveries arrive bare branched, which is normal.

Trees are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare varieties in the mulberry tree collection.
• Build out the backyard orchard from our fruit tree range.
• Plan the harvest calendar with fruit trees for every season.
• Meet the compact alternative in our weeping mulberry feature.

Common questions

How long until it fruits?

Black mulberries crop young for a fruit tree. Most gardeners are picking useful quantities within a few seasons of planting, with harvests building as the canopy grows.

Can I keep it smaller than 7m?

Yes. It responds very well to hard pruning in winter, so an annual cut while the tree is bare holds it at picking height indefinitely without costing the crop.

Will the roots or fruit cause trouble near the house?

They can. The surface roots are vigorous and the fruit stains whatever it lands on, so keep the tree well clear of paving, pipes, pools and parked cars. In open ground neither habit matters.

Do birds take the fruit?

Yes, it is a bird magnet in season. Net the tree if you want the whole crop, or simply plant it knowing the harvest is big enough to share.