# Mulberry tree question



## teq1 (Mar 1, 2011)

I have been wanting to get a mulberry tree, fruitless of course, for a long time now. But no luck! I was wondering, can you grow a mulberry tree from a cutting or small branch of another tree? I think someone had mentioned that to me but wasn't too sure. I've asked around my area for fruitless mulberry trees but apparently those don't exist here in south texas. And the trees with fruit grow really huge and make a mess. Can't have that at my parents house! Plus they are super expensive here locally. So if I get a cutting of another tree can I grow my very own mulberry tree? I'll have to keep looking if that's the case. Thanks!  

Letty


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## Laura (Mar 1, 2011)

hmm I dont know...but be carefull where you plant them.. they are not Septic friendly..


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## teq1 (Mar 1, 2011)

I'll keep that in mind 


Anyone know where I can get seeds for the fruitless mulberry tree? I would prefer a cutting if I knew for sure that it would grow. I have absolutely no knowledge about plants or trees so any information helps. If planting cuttings works, anyone who has a fruitless mulberry tree interested in sending me a small branch? I'll pay for it!  I just want the darn tree already lol


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## Tom (Mar 1, 2011)

Yes you can! But I've had no luck at it. The lady at the nursery even showed me how to do it and I bought the rooting hormone and all the right stuff, still a no go.

I had to special order my trees at my nursery. They informed me that mulberry trees are seen as a destructive nuisance and not a very good landscaping tree for a typical suburban back yard and that's why they don't carry them. You should be able to special order a 5 or 10 gallon sapling. Just make sure you keep the gophers away from the roots!


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## yagyujubei (Mar 2, 2011)

I have a weeping mulberry that's fruitless, and very decorative, The regular ones are considered trash trees around here, and come up everywhere. But at fruiting time, birds will make a mess of your car.


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## Kristina (Mar 2, 2011)

Here you go (I bought myself one before giving this link, LOL!)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120681419337


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## Seiryu (Mar 2, 2011)

kyryah said:


> Here you go (I bought myself one before giving this link, LOL!)
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120681419337



Do these leaves have somewhat similar nutritional properties as the ones with fruit?

I want a mulberry tree too, but not so much the fruit Lol.


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## spikethebest (Mar 2, 2011)

kyryah said:


> Here you go (I bought myself one before giving this link, LOL!)
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120681419337



it says no shipping to california


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## Kristina (Mar 2, 2011)

Seiryu said:


> kyryah said:
> 
> 
> > Here you go (I bought myself one before giving this link, LOL!)
> ...



I'm not sure, but I would assume so. I more want it for shade for my Redfoots than as a food source.



spikethebest said:


> kyryah said:
> 
> 
> > Here you go (I bought myself one before giving this link, LOL!)
> ...



Awww, that is a bummer, I wonder why? I'll ask the seller. I wonder if they are restricted in California.


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## exoticsdr (Mar 2, 2011)

kyryah said:


> Seiryu said:
> 
> 
> > kyryah said:
> ...



They are probably considered an invasive species since they spread so quickly and are about impossible to kill.


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## teq1 (Mar 2, 2011)

So this is a fruitless tree? That's awesome! I'm guna buy it right now lol. Thanks so much for the link kyryah! Woop woop!


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## Jacqui (Mar 2, 2011)

Because they are nuisance trees due to the fruit mess and also they way they spread, many places won't allow them.


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## dmmj (Mar 2, 2011)

wow you truly can find everything on ebay,


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## Kristina (Mar 2, 2011)

This variety is fruitless - Chaparral Weeping Mulberry. I am thinking that they won't spread as bad, considering birds and stuff won't spread seeds all over the place.


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## teq1 (Mar 2, 2011)

I just tried to buy one but they are sold out : (


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## coastal (Mar 2, 2011)

We will have 1 gal trees for $35, these are much larger then little seedlings in that ebay post. We sell out every year, but these would be actual usable size trees for food/shade/shelter come summer. Fruitless and weeping dwarf, very hardy tree and not common in most plant shops. This tree can even be grown in containers. Click the photo below for more info and to order.


​


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## Tom (Mar 2, 2011)

exoticsdr said:


> They are probably considered an invasive species since they spread so quickly and are about impossible to kill.



I can't hardly keep them alive between the gophers, the ground squirrels and the scorching dry summers!!!


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## Jacqui (Mar 2, 2011)

coastal said:


> We will have 1 gal trees for $35, these are much larger then little seedlings in that ebay post. We sell out every year, but these would be actual usable size trees for food/shade/shelter come summer. Fruitless and weeping dwarf, very hardy tree and not common in most plant shops. This tree can even be grown in containers. Click the photo below for more info and to order.



I agree yours would be my choice, if not for the shipping charges. 





Jacqui said:


> Because they are nuisance trees due to the fruit mess and also they way they spread, many places won't allow them.


 Looks like by the time I started this post and stopped in the middle to let a dog out, the good Doc beat me to the answer why not to CA... and lots of other places. 




Tom said:


> exoticsdr said:
> 
> 
> > They are probably considered an invasive species since they spread so quickly and are about impossible to kill.
> ...



 My problem is mine only do well in the places I don't want them, like fence lines and right next to rose bushes.  I need several more, especially since my old tree lost another sizable chunk again last year.

This was after removing some of the smaller branches to feed out.


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## coastal (Mar 2, 2011)

Not much I can do with shipping, these are shipped in quite large boxes in 1 gal pots with massive root system. I can have them held at your local FedEx office store and save you some money there. If you email me your zip I can tell you what the price would be.


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## dmmj (Mar 2, 2011)

So this tree can be grown from cuttings? I will have to look into it since a friend of mine (yes I do have friends) has a fruitless tree, and I have always wanted some.

Hey tom do you think you could PM me the instructions on how to do the cuttings? I would like to give it a try.


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## Yvonne G (Mar 2, 2011)

They also grow VERY WELL from the seeds in the berries. I used to have a fruited mulberry tree and there were little mulberry trees sprouting up all over my property.

I'm not real sure if a tree grown from a cutting would remain true to type or if it would revert to a berry tree.


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## dmmj (Mar 2, 2011)

Does anyone have seeds for sale?


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## Kristina (Mar 2, 2011)

Well the branches are what produce the berries, and the cuttings are part of the branch, so I think it would stay the same.


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## dmmj (Mar 2, 2011)

well I wonder if it works like dwarf trees, if you take a cutting from a dwarf fruit tree, it does not grow dwarf trees, it will grow regular size trees, since the fruit trees are grafted onto dwarf stock.


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## Yvonne G (Mar 2, 2011)

And I THOUGHT that mulberry trees were grafted to get rid of the berries, I'm not sure, though.


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## Tom (Mar 2, 2011)

dmmj said:


> Hey tom do you think you could PM me the instructions on how to do the cuttings? I would like to give it a try.



Its a mulberry thread. I'll just post it here.
There is an area near the end of each small branch that you need to find. Not the new green growth all the way out at the end, but not the barky older growth toward the other end either. You need to make a 45 degree cut in between these two points, on the smoothish, brownish portion of the branch. Then you dip the fresh cut end into your rooting hormone and stick the end into a pre-made hole in your pot of pre-dampened potting soil. You should then tie it off to a support stick stuck deep in the pot, so it doesn't move too much.

As I said though, it never worked for me, so maybe there is more to it. Probably best to go to a local nursery and ask them to show you first hand.


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## teq1 (Mar 2, 2011)

emysemys said:


> They also grow VERY WELL from the seeds in the berries. I used to have a fruited mulberry tree and there were little mulberry trees sprouting up all over my property.
> 
> I'm not real sure if a tree grown from a cutting would remain true to type or if it would revert to a berry tree.




I never thought of using the seeds from the actual mulberrys. I have no common sense  lol. My mom actually bought some the other day so I will try to plant the seeds. I would still like to buy the tree though .


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## coastal (Mar 2, 2011)

For what its worth, you do not want a fruiting mulberry tree unless you plan to plant it on a farm away from your home. If not then your asking for rats/mice/birds/raccoons and everything else to make a visit on top of the fruit will stain everything it lands on. Get either a fruitless white mulberry or one of the dwarfs. One will grow into a massive tree the other will stay in line with pruning. The dwarf has a downward growing nature. So the torts can always reach new leaves and have a nice shaded area under the canopy. Making it very tort friendly in outdoor pins.


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## Kristina (Mar 2, 2011)

emysemys said:


> And I THOUGHT that mulberry trees were grafted to get rid of the berries, I'm not sure, though.



Just so you know I wasn't being sarcastic, lol.


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## ChiKat (Mar 2, 2011)

My neighbor has a mulberry tree (though not fruitless unfortunately) and I would cry tears of joy if I could use that as a food source for Nelson...but I'm almost positive they spray it  
There's also another tree on a road near my house. It's in the woods on abandoned property so I KNOW it's not being sprayed...but I'm afraid it's too close to the road- exhaust fumes, etc.

I actually had the same question a few days ago and almost posted about it 

eta: Oo I just remembered the neighborhood next to mine has a mulberry tree growing in the middle of their cul de sac... I still don't know if they spray it though, bummer.


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## Tom (Mar 2, 2011)

Katie, I wouldn't worry about the exhaust fumes in a tree next to a road. You could always rinse or soak the leaves before you fed them out.

What is everybody spraying the trees with out there in IL?


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## Jacqui (Mar 3, 2011)

ChiKat said:


> My neighbor has a mulberry tree (though not fruitless unfortunately) and I would cry tears of joy if I could use that as a food source for Nelson...but I'm almost positive they spray it
> There's also another tree on a road near my house. It's in the woods on abandoned property so I KNOW it's not being sprayed...but I'm afraid it's too close to the road- exhaust fumes, etc.
> 
> I actually had the same question a few days ago and almost posted about it
> ...



Never hurts to ask. Plus if they do spray it, they may after knowing you could use the leaves, stop spraying. Which down the road aways, could give you a great food supply.


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