Mulberry Bush

The black mulberry plant (Morus Alba) originates in Asia but has been cultivated in the UK and Europe since Roman times. They are somewhat neglected commercially as the soft fruits do not transport well but they are an absolutely delicious summer fruit when you can get them fresh.

Mulberry plants can be left as a bush or with some pruning can be trained into more of a tree shape. They can live for decades and will eventually reach a sizeable proportion. They are completely frost hardy and will do well in a range of soils and situations. Because the fruit tend to drop when they are ripe they are best grown in the lawn rather than over a patio or flowerbed.

Whilst your plant is in a small pot it will need regular watering. Aim to water it heavily and then allow the top of the compost to dry out before watering heavily again. As soon as practical your mulberry plant will benefit from being planted out in the garden or potted up in a much larger pot. Add a top dressing of well rotted manure or other rich compost to help your plant settle in.

These plants are already 2 years old and take around 10 years to fully mature In the meantime you should still get small crops of tasty fruits each summer.

Your plant shouldn't need much feeding but if you are keeping it in the small pot for a while or the leaves start to appear pale of mottled then a good general purpose feed will always give it a good boost. Mulberry plants are deciduous so don't be alarmed if it starts to lose its leaves in winter. These plants are reasonably hardy but if we do have particularly cold spells (-5C or colder) then a fleece or heavy straw mulch will give your plant a bit more protection especially in the first couple of years.