White or Red Mulberry

[Terry Allan Hall]

Which's leaves are better for torts?

 

[Tom]

I didn't even know there was a white one. I've seen the fruiting variety with the red berries, but I mostly keep the non-fruiting one. After we answer Terry's question, does anyone know which one the fruitless variety is derived from? The leaves look the same to me on the red berry one and the fruitless one.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

About all I know about the white mulberry (Morus alba) trees is that they're originally from Japan and the leaves are what silkworms were/are fed. They were brought over here back when someone had the idea of making domestic silk (never really caught on) and nowdays they're ornamental shade trees...and a lot of mulberry trees around here are hybrids between reds and whites.

Nursery I was at yesterday has some small mulberry trees on sale, of both varieties, so I'll likely get a few...just wondering if one is better (for tortoise feed) than the other.

Also there's the paper mulberry tree (Broussonetia papyrifera ), which is also edible for people/livestock (so, presumably tort-safe), and is also from Japan.

 

[PeanutbuttER]

I remember walking around and eating the red berries when I lived in Hungary. Not sure how good they are for tort food, but they're not bad for people food. I think you can make jam out of them maybe? I don't know how the other fruit varieties compare.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I remember walking around and eating the red berries when I lived in Hungary. Not sure how good they are for tort food, but they're not bad for people food. I think you can make jam out of them maybe? I don't know how the other fruit varieties compare.

Yeah, a lot of folks make jellies and jams out of either/both, but for European/"desert" tortoises, the leaves are great food, and that, therefore, is my main interest...I expect tropical tortoises, like redfoots, benefit from the fruit, too, but other tortoises, not as much, except when used as an occasional treat.

Just figuring out more healthy/tasty things to raise for my torts.