Hello!
I am in search of a mulberry variety to grow to sell at the farmers’ market/ U-pick. I am looking for a variety that is:
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
The one that fit your requirements would be the Korean Kokuso mulberry. In addition, the birds leave them alone also. They have a very beautiful large leaves the size of your hand or larger.
Tony
Hey there, I wanted to share some thoughts about mulberries for a temperate climate. While no single species is a perfect match for your conditions, there are some options worth considering.
Late Frost-Resistant Mulberry
One of the most frost-resistant mulberries is Morus nigra. It buds late, making it less vulnerable to frost damage. It’s a slow grower, but its fruit is known for its excellent flavor and good size. The berries are quite delicate, and their short stems make harvesting a bit tricky without causing damage.
Some Morus alba selections from Ukraine handle frost better than most cultivars. However, while the wood may survive late frosts, the flowers can still be affected. These selections tend to have larger fruit, and notable varieties include:
The flavor is pleasant, though M. alba fruit is typically sweet and mild, with less acidity than other species.
If firmer fruit is a priority, varieties in the M. alba or M. latifolia group might be good options, such as:
For commercial growing, Morus macroura and M. wittorium are excellent in terms of fruit quality. However, they tend to bud early, which makes them more vulnerable to late frosts. If you have a greenhouse or tunnel, they could still be worth trying. A Belgian breeder has also developed M. alba x M. macroura hybrids (I believe them to be called Klon 10 & Klon 11), which might be another possibility despite their early budding.
For a U-pick farm, M. alba x M. rubra hybrids are a great choice. These hybrids adapt well to different climates and tend to bud later than pure M. alba. Plus, they produce fruit for up to three months, much longer than M. alba. Their flavor is also more complex. Some cultivars I would recommend:
I hope this information is helpful!
‘Black Tabor’ (M.alba x M.rubra) is very firm fruited.
Wow, this is very helpful. Thank you!
You are very welcome. In Germany there is a nursery specialized into mulberries.
You can use translator and check out the cultivars,
Your climate and region are going to play a huge role here. If you’re in the southern US then popcorn disease (fungus) is a major concern. Illinois Everbearing is a solid and wonderful variety but is prone to this disease.
If you are in zones 5-7 then Morus nigra and Morus macroura aren’t viable options commercially. Some may say M. nigra could survive 7b, but that’s too risky to bet on commercially.
Growing mulberries in high tunnels would prove a frustrating and unprofitable venture. They grow too fast, get way too big, extend their roots out everywhere, and the yields indoors would be too small to make a profit.
Early budding is also an issue, especially in the southeast USA.
Where are you located?
Are you able to grow that around Omaha?
Yes. I got 2 Kokuso at my old house and they can handle the cold to -33F with no issues.
Tony
When I visited Burnt Ridge Nursery I saw a planting of Pakistani mulberry, dozens of trees they were growing for fruit harvesting
@Blake For the record, I’m growing Morus nigra in Zone 6B, and I’ve found that location is everything. I agree that young trees often struggle through winter, much like figs in my zone. If you let the trunk thicken to over 4 cm in diameter before transplanting into the field, they’re much more likely to thrive.
Hi Blake,
Thanks for the info! I am in central Virginia, zone 7a
Yes, your climate is extremely similar to mine in zone 6b KY, but slightly warmer in winter. Our region suffers from winter warm ups ( it’s 70F today February 3rd), which will rapidly stimulate ‘Pakistan’ (M. Macroura) mulberries to begin budding out a month or two before the last frost date, dooming the crop for that year. This can also lead to severe damage to the wood, or tree death This is a major reason why apricots and almonds do so poorly here.
Popcorn disease is likely an issue where you are ( we have it here). So, I would highly suggest popcorn-disease resistant mulberries, and no M. Macroura mulberries. Miss Kim and Silk Hope are two good popcorn resistant choices. Illinois Everbearing could work too if popcorn disease pressure is not too severe. I have seen a tiny amount on my I. Everbearing mulberry, and I buried the infected fruits. I have, however, seen local M. alba trees in town severely infected with it.
Other choices could include Hicks, 6th Street and Asheville Delite. The latter two are hard to find, but I sell them in my nursery. I introduced Asheville Delite to the nursery trade, it came from Earthaven ecovillage in NC and has no issues with popcorn disease apparently. Others like Chiang Mai #60 and World’s Best are M. Macroura and likely would not do well in your area.
The Ukranian selections mentioned might be worth trying out. I have a few of them growing in my trial planting. Also Maui might be worth trialing. It is not quite cold hardy here in 6b.
If you want to see them, they are here: Mulberry Trees For Sale | Peaceful Heritage Nursery
I’m curious what state or location you live. Here in New York not many people are familiar with mulberry as a fruit to eat. Never saw them on any Farmers market. A couple years ago I brough such “terra incognita” berries to the market : Schisandra Chinensis, black and red currant, gooseberry, tayberry, autumn olives berry, forest(wild) raspberry - all walking through people looked at me like on a green alien. Are you sure your local people are gonna buy mulberry from you for the price that include picking up labor?
Same thing here in Michigan with the younger (under 45 y. o.) People. My daughter takes the grandkids to a park to pick mulberries, surprising how many people tell her not to eat those, they’re poisonous.
You might need to give out free samples to lure people into eating something so "weird " LOL
I’m in central VA, near Richmond. That’s unfortunate to hear. From what I’ve seen, people are interesting in trying new fruits as free samples. If the taste is comparable in quality to what they’re used to, they seem interested in purchasing. But, I’m pretty new to this so time will tell. I don’t plan on quitting my day job anytime soon lol. This is my passion though. So if it’s not financially viable, as long as I have opened a few peoples’ eyes to something new, I will feel successful 
Yes! I definitely plan to!
I think for mulberries, as long as you have approriate signage to let people know what they are, they’ll be interest. People have heard of mulberries from the nursery rhyme, but most people don’t know what they look like. For a u-pick it may be a good marketing strategy to keep one as a bush in a visible area. Most people expect a mulberry bush like a blueberry bush, not a tree.
Gerardi will make a nice bush form… but if deer have access to it they will pick it clean of leaves below 4.5 ft.
I started mine off like that… but eventually converted it to single stem up to 4 ft… then it bushes out nicely.
What about using Jan’s best? It fruits like crazy
