Weeping Mulberry Tree
All about the Weeping Mulberry Tree
The weeping mulberry tree is a deciduous tree that goes wild across both North America and Asia. The trees were once used both to produce silk worms and fruit. Over the years both of these practices died out and now the weeping mulberry tree is usually planted because people like its looks as a landscaping tree.
Because it is deciduous, the weeping mulberry tree loses its leaves in the winter. At other times the tree has bright green leaves. It can be quite large in size both in height and width. It can grow as tall as sixty feet or be as short as twenty feet. The weeping mulberry tree gets its name from the way that its branches grow upward and then outward, bending back toward the ground. It is because of this “weeping” effect that the weeping mulberry makes such a great shade tree.
In addition to its nice green leaves, the weeping mulberry trees can have different color berries. It is always the female variety of tree that has berries and these can be such colors as white, pinks, purples, and there is even a red mulberry tree. It really depends on the type of weeping mulberry tree as to whether or not there will be berries at all. When the trees were first introduced, they were sold as berry trees but there was never enough interest generated in the berries for any kind of supply and demand to get going.
As interest in growing the trees for their berries died out, growers started cultivating varieties of weeping mulberries without berries. Many of the most commonly seen trees is nurseries are male trees which are entirely fruitless. Some of the different types of berry-less trees include Urban, Kingan, and Stribling. One of the most popular female berry trees is the white weeping mulberry tree, and these are among the easiest to grow. Even if you don’t care about the berries, the birds will love them.
If you are going to grow a weeping mulberry tree, be sure to plant it where it gets plenty of sun. Try to stay away from walkways and driveways, especially if they are made of stone or tarred as the roots of the tree will tend to spread out and upward, coming up and cracking any surface above them. The height of your mulberry tree is going to be determined by how much you prune it. It is the tendency with these trees to prune them into the shape of an umbrella. Obviously, trees not pruned grow larger and the lower branches may dip so low as to touch the ground.
You can grow a weeping mulberry tree if you live in any of U.S. hardiness zones 4 through 8. It likes soil that is well drained. It can also do well in dry conditions but care should be taken in the first two years of grow to make sure the young tree gets plenty of water. Begin by digging your hole to be the same depth as the tree’s root ball but three to four times wider than the root ball.
Place the tree in the hole and make sure it is straight before starting to return soil to the hole. Return around fifty percent of the soil, then thoroughly water the hole. Finish filling the hole with the rest of the dirt. It is good to mulch the tree at the time of planting so that it will retain moisture and stay weed-free. Four inches of mulch is just about the right amount. Remember, the root system does remain shallow, with the majority of roots staying within two feet of the surface.
Spring and fall are the best planting times for your weeping mulberry trees. If it stays healthy it will probably outlive you, as some trees can live for eight to one hundred years.