Is there anything I need to worry about when growing the mulberry tree?

Question

I tried to get some sea berries for the yard, but my parents made me send them back due to the suckering/invasive nature. Do I need to worry about anything with the mulberry tree similar to what I had to worry about the sea berry bush?

Answer 1

I just got rid of a mulberry tree this year, and I'm glad I did.

• The fruit is so thick and dense that it covers the ground and not much else grows there.
• They grow fast. A branch growing 3ft a year is not unusual.
• They grow easily from seed. You will have seedlings every where.
• The juice stains cars and clothing.
• When it gets hot all those berries squashed on the ground smells like a brewery.
• The berries are edible but usually birds peck at them a bit, so you're left with lots of pecked berries.
• They are so messy they will likely decrease the value of your yard.
• Some cities might consider it a pest due to the huge mess.

Answer 2

Mulberry trees can grow roots that break up sidewalks and such. I wouldn't plant them next to a house, either.

Mulberries with dark fruits may fall on the ground, people may walk on them, and if they step on carpet in the house, it can really stain the carpet (so I've read). White-fruited mulberries are probably non-staining (but I could be wrong). It should be noted that White Mulberry is a species (Morus alba), as is Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) and Black Mulberry (Morus nigra). The color in the name doesn't refer to the fruit color.

Mulberry trees can get very large, unless you get such as dwarf trees or weeping mulberries. I'm not sure if these are safer to have by houses.

Mulberry trees can attract birds, which may eat the fruits and leave droppings all over the place. I don't know if this is a common occurrence, since I've never grown mulberries (but for some people it may be).

Anyway, they are great fruits, though, with a lot of health potential, I think.

I've read that birds may spread the seeds of mulberries. I don't know how often this happens, nor how invasive they are, however.

Answer 3

They're short lived (50-80 years), enormous, prone to leaf spot which they will spread all over the area they're in (at least they are here), and should never be planted in a back yard unless your yard is huge and can comfortably accomodate removing the tree when it's close to death - it will fall over one day. They're great for parks but terrible in the yard. I wonder why they're not planted in parking lots, as they grow incredibly quickly and provide wonderful, impenetrable shade. Also tons of very tasty berries. They attract a lot of wildlife, too. You do have to do some climbing if you want berries.

The leaf spot is a very real problem if you intend to do any gardening. My neighbor has one and before I had it pruned back, it was infecting everything in my backyard with this dreadful disease. It doesn't seem to hurt the tree, but spraying such a huge tree with fungicide is not realistic. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/cercospora-leaf-spot-treatments-mulberry-tree-26386.html

Why not consider something more appropriate to a yard, such as blueberries or blackberries or whatever berries you like that grow in your area?