WELCOME TO OUR NEW LOOK WEBSITE! PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AROUND! NOTE MANY PLANTS HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY UPDATED YET BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE BIT BY BIT, BRINGING YOU MUCH RICHER INFORMATION WITH A MORE USER-FRIENDLY LAYOUT:)
black-mulberry-tree
black mulberry fruit

Certified Organic Plant

LEARN MORE ABOUT
HOW WE GROW YOUR PLANTS

LONG TERM OUT OF STOCK

SOLD OUT

OUT OF STOCK

AVAILABLE SPRING

AVAILABLE SUMMER

AVAILABLE AUTUMN

AVAILABLE WINTER

WINTER DORMANT

AVAILABLE SOON

Black Mulberry

Morus nigra

$42.00

Out of stock

Join the waitlist to be emailed when this product becomes available

Very long lived ornamental and fruit bearing deciduous tree native to SW Asia, also cultivated throughout Europe and around the Mediterranean for centuries. It was introduced to Britain by the Romans. Grows to a height of up to 10m (but can be kept lower with pruning), and has a deep rooting system. Fast growing when young, then very slow growing. Produces drupes of delicious 2-3cm purple/black fruit in early summer. Self-fertile, may also be pollinated by wind or bees.

PB5.  Approx height 100-120 cm.

Photo needpix.com

Cultivation

Likes full sun, some shelter from strong winds, and well-drained loamy soil. Fairly drought-hardy once established but does seem to need good moisture levels to produce good fruit. Frost hardy when dormant but new buds are very susceptible to frosts. Otherwise low maintenance, and unfussy.

Uses

The juicy and refreshing fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, made into jams, cordials and wine, and used for colouring and flavouring. All aerial parts of the tree have medicinal uses.

Fibre can be made from the bark, dye from the fruit and leaves, and the wood can be used for joinery. In Japan, mulberry wood is used to make furniture and tea ceremony utensils.

Mulberries can be planted next to walnuts to buffer the negative effects of the walnut root exudates on other plants. The trees can also be grown for leaf production as well as fruit – mulberry leaves are used as a cooked vegetable in many parts of the world. If growing for the leaves, trees can be pollarded (cut back at shoulder height) every 1-4 years. They should ideally be underplanted with nitrogen fixing ground cover to help feed them. The leaves are also very palatable for stock and can be used as supplementary feed, and chooks relish the fruit.

Medicinal Uses

Mulberries have a long history of use in Chinese and Indian medicine to treat a variety of conditions in humans and animals, including colds, flu, eye infections toothache, diabetes, hypertension, and neurodegenerative diseases. The berries are rich source of antioxidant phenolic compounds, including flavonoids and anthocyanins.

Primary Actions: antioxidant, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-melanogenic, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anticancer

Parts Used: fruit, leaves and bark

History / Folklore / Further Info

There are several schools of thought about the origins of the British nursery rhyme ‘Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush’ (which itself is confusing as mulberries are trees not bushes!). One historian suggests that the song originated from female prisoners at Wakefield Prison taking their daily exercise around the mulberry tree in the yard. Another interpretation, by author Bill Bryson, is that it was a joke about the failure of Britain’s attempt to match Chinese silk production – “Here we go round the mulberry bush / On a cold and frosty morning” referring to the fact that it was too cold for the trees to thrive there.

Jo Says

Buckingham Palace in London holds a nationally significant collection of mulberry trees. As the Queen never invited me there when I lived in London, I haven’t seen them unfortunately! Apparently an account of some of the varieties cultivated in the Royal gardens is given in an exclusive publication, The Queen’s Mulberries – only 100 books were published!

Shipping Advice

N.B. Shipping costs are added AFTER you have placed your order, you will then be emailed an invoice with bank details. 

Smallest box rate:
This can fit up to 9 plants in 9cm pots.

Shipping a single tree can be expensive. We may be able to fit more in the box for the same price! See our shipping rates for single and multi tree boxes.

Combining sizes?
No problem, we will work out the best rate for you once you’ve placed your order.

Full list of shipping rates HERE

Medical disclaimer

Jo has a passion for growing herbs but is not a qualified herbalist and has no medical background.

We are lucky to have Patricia Beagle working here at times, who is qualified, and some of her advice does appear on these pages, but herbs act differently for different people and can interact with other medicines. We therefore always recommend that you consult with your own qualified health-care practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing or on any medications.

Kahikatea Farm cannot take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants or a plant not having the effect it is reputed to have. 

Related Products

Related Products

Search Products