This is going to be a Journal of the process to save this amazing Mulberry.
A couple years ago I spent the Mulberry season going around town tasting every seedling Mulberry tree I could find. I found and tasted countless numbers of trees. 30 of those trees had a decent flavor. 4 had really good flavor. But the very best one I found was far better than all the others. It tastes like the best black raspberry I’ve ever tasted that melts in your mouth. It really blew my mind how delicious it is perfectly balanced sweet and tart.
I tried to airlayer it last summer but none took. So I decided to graft it however this past winter the tree was cut down just before I could gather scions. I was heartbroken.
Fortunately the stump recently sent up a couple shoots. I have an agreement with the landowner to let it grow until January and I’ll cut it down for grafting in spring.
I have 5 rootstocks in pots and a younger tree in ground to graft over. I hope I can save it and spread it around to everyone because I really do believe it’s a special one. I think it’s a Rubra/Alba hybrid leaning more Rubra . I call it Virginia Ave. after the street it hung over.
This was the thread when I found Virginia Ave.
This was the thread when Virginia Ave. had been cut down.
Best of luck! If it’s resprouting like that, it means it’s guaranteed to be female right? So a few more seasons and hopefully the best berry will be back in town!
Whew, what diligence. I have noticed over the years, if you find an amazing fruit tree, propagate it ASAP. They have targets on their backs in our modern suburban USA.
Since you are cutting it down anyways for scion… i would be tempted myself to try to root some cuttings of those side shoots now… since it didnt airlayer… in a darkish cool room would be a safer bet…
And if myself I wouldnt ‘cut it down’. I would dig it out in Fall after frost and at least attempt to get it going on its own roots in the warm Fall soil deep mulched…
Then prune out scions in Jan…
YMMV though.
Final thoughts- Some of the best mulberries that i have tasted were from trees that were living in soil that weeds struggled in… not to mention roots under concrete and asphalt… and bombarded by everything that kills such as salt and chemicals. My suspicion is that its the mulberry’s way of attracting something to pass on its seed to get as far away from the mother tree as possible. Sweet and attractive and plentiful fruit are usually from trees in peril.
So just saying if you treat the new trees like gold… you may not get the same results.
I agree with @krismoriah , try to root a couple fresh green cuttings. I have rooted fresh greenwood cuttings of IE and Silk Hope in a glass of water, probably not the most reliable way to root them, but sometimes it works.
IF you have rootstock you could try grafting greenwood from it now in addition to trying to get some shoots to root. Thanks for sharing this story, I hope things work out!
My parents had a huge mulberry I enjoyed fruit from in the front yard growing up. Unfortunately it was struck by lightning and is no more. Yours looks promising.
