#morus alba

[urban-meadow-cryptid]

(young) white mulberry against sky, june 2025

metro atlanta, georgia, us

[los-plantalones]

Here’s a comparison of black and white mulberries! Often, white mulberry will ripen to shades of pink, sometimes even reddish purple. White mulberries are milder in taste than other species, but they’re the ones I enjoy eating straight off the tree the most.

In my neighborhood, we have a mix of black mulberry (m. nigra) and white mulberry (m. alba) trees. Surprisingly, the black mulberry is a lot more prolific. I’ve already picked multiple quart containers of them! The white mulberries are just starting to ripen, and I only have a pint so far.

Mulberries in general have a VERY short shelf life, so I use them within 1-2 days of picking. They do however freeze very well – which is usually what I end up doing with at least half my harvest.

[wordsofahoneybee]

ANATOMY OF A TREE PART II: MORUS ALBA  K. Cináed Cahill

TEXT ID: ME: Do you remember when we planted you here? MULBERRY TREE: Of course. We were both very young, barely sprouted. M: I begged my mother to let you live. Pleaded with her to plant you somewhere else. T: You cried to her about it. M: I did. T: Why? I was only a weed then. You've plucked plenty of weeds. M: It felt unfair. We'd left you for years, and we tear up your roots just as you're really starting to grow? T: It happens. M: But I had control over it. I had a choice. T: You were a child. M: And you were a weed. I wanted to let you grow. M: Are you happy? T: What do you mean? M: Are you happy? Do you enjoy your existence? Are you glad you got a chance to truly grow? T: Of course. Life is always a precious thing, the chance to grow is a rare one. I am always happy for it. M: The neighbors cut down another tree. T: This upsets you. M: It doesn't upset you? T: I am a tree, very little upsets me. M: I wish they would stop cutting them down. They were beautiful. They were healthy. A family of falcons lived in that pine. T: That is unfortunate. M: It feels too empty now. I'm not sure I like seeing so much of the sky unobstructed. T: You want me to be upset about the trees. M: I do. T: Why? M: It feels like something to be upset about. It feels like I'm watching something important slip away. It feels like watching my mother tear up your roots. T: You asked me if I was happy. M: I needed to know if it was only sentiment. If I’m still just the child who cries about mowing over dandelions, or if it means anything. T: It was kind. Does it have to be anything else? END ID

[fomelo]

mother nature seems to be in a rush...

[rjalker]

Red Mulberry vs White Mulberry: Identification

These species are usually easy to tell apart if looking at a pure species, but they readily hybridize and in many areas, most trees are hybrids. A few trees can be definitively identified as one species or the other, but ones with intermediate characteristics cannot.

[on-my-way-to-the-woods]

Found white mulberries that were actually white for the first time. F just walked by because she thought they were all unripe 😂

I'm not much of a fan of these. I'm sure part of it is that I rely a lot on color to find the ones I like (early enough to still be somewhat sour), but they also have a reputation for being bland compared with other mulberries.

[on-my-way-to-the-woods]

Getting covered in berry juice from time to time is important for your mental health

[queens-gardener]

The absolute bafflement at finding out a tree you thought was sterile, is actually producing fruit.

Anyway, mulberries are incredibly sweet and delicious and taste vaguely of apples and plum.