Is the native Mullberry a red variety?
Yes, Morus rubra. Very few remain due to ready hybridization with Morus alba, brought here centuries ago. These all typically have black colored fruit.
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Morus rubra is still very common in rural areas here in southern west-central KY, but once you get into town⌠M.alba is everywhere in any untended fencline or ditchbank⌠only volunteer callery pears give it a run for its money.
That said, the albaXrubra hybrids do appear - courtesy of the birds - far from the city limits⌠âLawson Dawsonâ, a hybrid originating in this county, is located easily 10 miles from any city, having arisen in a rural barnlot fenceline.
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I have found four different rubraâs Only one had good fruit. I should probably clone it. Maybe Iâll take cuttings this fall.
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Apparently our old tree ( 60 ft over 50 yrs) is a Morus rubra with semi sweet berries. It has a huge crop this year.
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Iâve never encountered a rubra with bad fruit, but some are orders of magnitude better than others. I have one local one here thatâs pretty good, but the ones on the farm back home in AL - and at the nearby county dumpster site - were far, far better - in size, flavor, juiciness.
I have, however, sampled some pretty unimpressive albas, and some hybrids that are just lacking anything in the way of flavor.
I agree with that. I was surprised by how much they varied in flavor. I donât like the white Alba types at all. Yuck! For me keeping pure rubra is a novelty Iâm not really concerned about it as evolution happens. Not much I can do about it. Mother Nature bats last.