Depending on the species, mulberries grow as a shrub or tree with white, red or black fruits. We present different types and varieties of mulberries.

Mulberries come in all color variants of black, violet-red and white

The genus of mulberry trees (Morus) is diverse and there are various species and varieties for planting in the home garden or in pots. In this article we give you an overview of different varieties of mulberries.

White Mulberry

The white mulberry tree (Morus alba) comes from East Asia and has been cultivated in China for over 4500 years. It prefers sunny, light, calcareous and sandy soils. The foliage of the medium-sized tree served mainly as food for silkworms, but also produces many sweet, white to red-black fruits. It was also planted as an ornamental tree.
The white mulberry can be planted singly, in groups or as a wild hedge. However, it is also very suitable for tightly trimmed hedges and as a topiary. Here you will find an overview of the numerous fruiting varieties and ornamental forms of the white mulberry.

White Mulberry Varieties

  • 'Aurefolia': Mulberry variety with light green foliage and golden yellow autumn colour. It forms delicate purple-tinged, white and sweet-tasting fruits with a honey-like scent.
  • 'Constantinopolitana': Mulberry with quite strong but squat growth. The 5 cm long, sweet fruits first turn yellowish when ripe, then black-red later.
  • ‘Emanuelle’: French variety with conspicuous light purple fruits about 3 cm long. The small tree reaches a height of about 5 m.
  • 'White Sofia': Small tree about 5 m tall. The variety produces 4 cm long white fruits with a purple coating and a very sweet taste.
White mulberries, like the purple-coated fruits of the 'White Sofia' variety, taste sweet

Ornamental Shapes of White Mulberry

  • 'Nana': Spherical, bushy mulberry with dense growth up to 3.5 m in height and width. Does not form fruit, since the plants are mostly purely male.
  • 'Pendula': Mulberry tree with a pendulous habit, also known as the black mulberry. The tree can reach a height of 2 - 6 mand forms dense arbors under the overhanging branches. It forms small, black-red fruits when ripe.
  • Plane-leaved mulberry tree (Morus alba f. macrophylla): Small tree with a height of 3 - 10 m and leaves shaped like a plane tree.
  • 'Pyramidalis': Columnar growing mulberry tree with a height of 10 - 16 m. The few fruits are 1 - 2 cm small and white in colour.
  • 'Spirali': Zigzag mulberry or corkscrew mulberry with twisted shoots. The growth is shrubby up to 4 m in height and width. The large leaves can grow up to 20 cm long.
The hanging mulberry tree 'Pendula' is also known as the mourning mulberry

Black Mulberry

The black mulberry (Morus nigra) comes from western Asia and has now also immigrated to America and southern Europe. The small tree, which needs warmth, thrives in protected areas with a wine-growing climate. The preferably calcareous and nutrient-rich soil should be warm and sunny. The black-purple fruits taste much more aromatic than those of the white mulberry.

  • 'Agate': Large shrub or small tree, 3 - 5 m tall. The 3 - 4 cm long fruits ripen in late summer and taste sweet and aromatic.
  • ‘Black Persian’: Central Asian variety with very large, black fruits up to 6 cm long and 3 cm wide.
  • ‘Kaester’: High-yielding mulberry variety from Los Angeles with very sweet, black-red fruits about 4 cm long.
The black mulberry needs much more heat, but is also more aromatic than Morus alba

Red Mulberry

The red mulberry (Morus rubra) is native to the eastern United States and grows up to 15 m tall in its homeland. It prefers moist locations, which is why it is often found on river banks. Their fruits hardly differ from those of the black mulberry. However, they are slightly smaller at 3 cm in length and turn red or red-black when ripe. The foliage of this species turns a brilliant golden yellow in fall. There are only a few selections of this type, but crosses with Morus alba are far better known.

  • 'Gelso Rosso': Slow-growing Italian red mulberry variety with a final height of only 3.5 m.
  • Morus alba x rubra 'Illinois Overbearing': Hybrid of white and red mulberry . Rich-bearing, black-fruited variety with good winter hardiness in mild areas and late ripening.
  • Morusalba x rubra 'Wellington': Bred in New York by Richard WellingtonWhite and red mulberry variety. Fertile variety with aromatic, black fruits and a long harvest time.
The red mulberry originally comes from the eastern United States

Asian Mulberry

The Asian mulberry (Morus australis), also known as the Korean or Chinese mulberry, comes from East Asia. It used to be counted among the white mulberries under the name Morus alba var. stylosa . It does best in limestone soils and will grow even in colder areas, making a 2 to 3 m tall shrub with deeply lobed small leaves and numerous black-red fruits, about 1 cm in size.

Morus australis grows as a bushy shrub and bears small black-red fruits

Large Fruited Mulberry

The large-fruited or long mulberry (Morus macroura) lives up to its name with fruits up to 10 cm long. They are therefore significantly longer than the fruits of all other species. The large-fruited mulberry needs warmth and should be planted in mild climates. It is hardy to a maximum of -10 °C. The ideal location is in full sun on deep, nutrient-rich and moist soil.

  • 'Pakistan Red': Mulberry with a growth height of 5 m and comparatively good winter hardiness. The 7 - 8 cm long fruits turn deep red to black-red when ripe and taste aromatic and sweet.
  • 'Giant Pakistan': This variety forms the largest mulberry fruits with a length of up to 10 cm. These taste sweet and aromatic, remain rather firm and are therefore easy to store. 'Giant Pakistan' is hardy to -10 °C and can reach a height of 10 m.
The large-fruited mulberry forms fruits up to 10 cm long

Japanese Mulberry

The Japanese mulberry (Morus kagayamae; synonym Morus bombycis) grows as a large shrub or small tree. The older leaves are notched like a plane tree. It reaches a height of 5 to 8 m and forms small, blackberry-like, red-black fruits. The sweet and fruity taste is also reminiscent of blackberries, which is why this species is also offered as blackberry sycamore. There are very few varieties of this species, such as 'Shin-Tso'. The optimal location for the Japanese mulberry is sunny, warm and protected on nutrient-rich, well-drained soil.

The fruits of the Japanese mulberry are small and resemble blackberries in shape and taste

Dwarf Mulberry Trees

  • Morus acidosa‘Mulle’: Swedish breeding mulberry with weak growth. The small trees are extremely hardy and do not grow higher than 3.5 m even when they are old, and significantly smaller with pruning measures. Many small, blackberry-like fruits with a sweet and sour taste are already hanging from young trees. In addition to a warm, full sun, 'Mulle' prefers permeable, nutrient-rich and fresh soil.
  • Morus rotundiloba 'Mojo Berry': Dwarf mulberry up to 1.5 m and good winter hardiness down to -15 °C. This extremely slow-growing mulberry variety is also suitable for pot culture. In sunny locations with a good supply of nutrients and well-drained soil, this dwarf mulberry produces particularly abundant fruit. The numerous sweet fruits ripen one after the other between June and September.
Dwarf mulberries, such as the 'Mojo Berry' variety, can also be cultivated in pots

After selecting the right type and variety, the next step is to plant the mulberry trees. Find out everything about location requirements, care measures and harvesting of the exotic fruits in our article.

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Fruit