Native fruit trees are low-maintenance, have a higher chance of survival, and offer shelter and food for local wildlife.

“White mulberry (not the native red mulberry) was banned locally in several Southwestern cities in the 1980s and ’90s,” notes Doug Still, a certified arborist and tree consultant at This Old ...

Around 1813, a man in Columbia named Nicholas Herbemont crossed our native mulberry with the white mulberry to produce a tree named Hick’s ever-bearing mulberry variety.

Left unpruned, native red mulberry can reach 65 feet in height in humus-rich, well drained soil. The reddish-brown bark was ridged and fissured.

Growing mulberry trees is a solid choice for any garden or landscape. They improve soil health with deep, penetrating roots, and their nutrient-rich leaves replenish the soil in the fall.

Mulberry fruit is typically produced from mid-June to July. Red mulberry, which is often found under the canopy of other hardwood trees in moist areas such as river bottoms as well as along wooded ...

If quick fruit production and low maintenance are desired, look no further than the mulberry. For more information, call the Marion County Extension office at 671-8400 or email ironhill@ufl.edu.