14/01/2026
The Mulberry Tree That Keeps Giving
Our beautiful Mulberry tree has been producing bucketloads of fruit! Members are encouraged to stop by the tree for a sneaky snack, as there is plenty of new fruit ripening daily. We even have a newly purchased ladder to assist!
And while we’re here, some interesting facts about the Mulberry…
* Not a True Berry: Botanically, a mulberry fruit is not a single berry, but a cluster of many tiny fruits (called drupes) joined together, known as a multiple fruit or infructescence.
* Fastest Plant Movement: The white mulberry tree is scientifically notable for having the fastest known movement in the plant kingdom: it releases its pollen using a stamen "catapult" that moves at approximately half the speed of sound (around 600km/h).
* Colour Does Not Match Name: The names white, red, and black mulberry refer to the species (M. alba, M. rubra, and M. nigra), not necessarily the colour of the ripe fruit, which can vary across cultivars.
* Long-Lived: Depending on the species, mulberry trees are very hardy and can live for 50 to over 100 years, with some black mulberries potentially living for 300+ years.
* Environmental Cleanup: One mulberry tree is estimated to be able to absorb up to 4,162 kg of carbon dioxide and release 3,064 kg of oxygen annually, highlighting their role in air purification.
* Deep Roots: Black mulberry trees have one of the deepest root systems of any tree in their native range, with roots reaching depths of over 9 metres, which helps them withstand drought and control soil erosion.
