Content
- An exotic is native - the mulberry
- The history of mulberries
- Mulberries today
- The mulberry in the home garden
- Tips & Tricks
An exotic is native - the mulberry
Mulberry trees have been growing in Germany for a long time, are almost forgotten and are experiencing a renaissance today - and rightly so, because the juicy fruit tastes excellent and the trees decorate parks and gardens.
The history of mulberries
Already Frederick I brought the white mulberry to Germany and thus gave it some importance. At that time, the mulberry tree was used for silk production. The silkworms fed on their leaves, they did not eat anything else. The cocoons were then processed into raw silk.
Silk production was an important industry in southern Europe and shaped entire areas of the country. At the beginning of the 20th century, cheap imported goods from China came to Europe, causing the European silk production to come to a virtual standstill. Occasionally the white mulberry is still found on old avenues.
Mulberries today
Numerous species of mulberry are cultivated as useful as well as ornamental plants. In Germany, especially the white and the black mulberry are known. The red mulberry, however, is becoming increasingly important. Due to its gnarled growth, it is particularly decorative.
The mulberry is generally coping well with the climate in Germany, only the cold-sensitive black mulberry gets cold wind not very good. It thrives best in wine-growing areas, because it prefers the same climate as the wine.
Ornamental forms of the white mulberry are particularly popular in parks, because near the traffic areas the strongly coloring fruits of the black mulberry are not desired. In addition, the white mulberry is less sensitive to frost.
The mulberry in the home garden
The easy-care mulberry is also suitable for garden beginners. It is relatively resistant to diseases and pests. A complicated cut is not necessary, only a permeable soil, enough irrigation water and regular fertilization. Then you can look forward to a large amount of fresh juicy mulberries.
Tips & Tricks
In well-stocked nurseries you get different mulberry trees. Let us advise you which variety best meets your wishes. The name says only limited about the color of the fruit. The fruits of the red mulberry can be almost black, the white mulberry also pale purple.