| General Description | Spreading form and gnarled bark, thick dark green leaves, and dark juicy
berries similar to a blackberry. |
| ID Characteristic | Called nigra because of the large black buds, rather than the blackberry like
berries. The tree has deeply furrowed bark and a gnarled twisted form. The leaves are a dark green and heart shaped leaves. |
| Shape | Round, thick spreading form. |
| Landscape | Mostly grown for fruit or as an ornamental tree but also used as a windbreak, and shade tree, but this is also considered an invasive species in most places |
| Propagation | Many Black Mulberry trees are grown from softwood cuttings because they are
dioecious. ‘‘Some fruit-bearing trees do not have a male tree nearby, so any seed you find is likely to be sterile. It is best to find a fruiting mulberry that has lots of close neighbours. This will bring seed viability to very high levels.’’. Since the male trees do not produce the coveted fruit many people choose to take cuttings from a female tree to ensure they get fruit. Softwood cuttings are taken in summer 15- 25 cm in length, all leaves except for the top few are removed, the cutting is then planted in sand on a heating bench, and kept moist for 4-8 weeks. |
| Cultivation | These trees prefer moist well-drained soils and tolerate most soil types in a sunny sheltered position.They prefer a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5 as most plants do. |
| Pests | They suffer from silkworm, leaf spot, canker, powdery mildew, and mealybugs. The fruit also attracts many birds and other wildlife. The tree could also be considered a pest because it is an invasive species. |
| Notable Specimens | the Old Black Mulberry in Victoria Park London England, It is believed to
be one of the oldest trees in East London. |
| Habitat | The tree is native to Asia, but the exact habitat is somewhat unknown due to its invasive nature and the long time cultivation. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Grey to brown in colour, rugged furrowed bark, becomes more gnarled over time. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | The tree has been named nigra due to the large black buds
that separates it from other mulberry trees. The buds are almond-shaped, with striate scales and are about 2 cm long by 1.5 cm across. |
| Leaf Description | Cordate/ heart-shaped leaves with finely serrated margins, leaves are dark
green and a lighter green, hairy underside of the leaf. They are approximately 10-15 cm long and 6-10 cm wide. |
| Flower Description | Insignificant flowers with white to light yellow petals, the males being a
longer flower the female being thicker and shorter, flowering in mid-spring. |
| Fruit Description | Fruit ranges from light green when new to red then to a purple-black fruit.
The berries are about 1.5 cm- 2.5 cm in length and 2.5 cm in diameter. The Black Mulberry fruit is also known as the best, most flavorful, and
delicious of all mulberries |
| Colour Description | This tree has a variety of different colours being one of its attractive
features. The bark is a dull grey to a dull brown colour, the leaves a deep green, the small blooms on the tree are a white to light yellow colour. The colour of the berries is what really attracts the eyes as they don't ripen all at the same time you get a variety of colour. they go from a light green when first emerging, next to a raspberry red, then when fully ripe a deep purple-black colour. |
| Texture Description | Hard, coarse texture year-round. |