I recently read an article written by a man who is both a gardener and a cook, he said that the first time he tasted the fruit of the mulberry tree it was like he had sunshine in his mouth and he has never forgotten that experience.
« Sunshine in his mouth », I felt that I would also like to taste that, which led me on to ask a tree expert (my son actually) about mulberry trees. Quite a coincidence when he said that they were one of his favourite trees. Their history is interesting he said being exotic trees introduced by the Romans into Britain and then there is the story of King James I and his attempt to start a silk trade in Britain. He told me that they are also characterful, craggy trees which often fall apart but keep on growing nevertheless and the delicious fruit is something you never get in a supermarket !
It is also possisble to buy a dwarf mulberry which produces plenty of fruit and yet can be kept in a pot. I feel a dwarf mulberry bush will be my next addition into my edible garden.
Indeed mulberry trees (mûriers) do have an interesting history – the Ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated them for the leaves to feed to the silkworms, these were white mulberry trees, native to China and India. White mulberry leaves are the preferred food for silkworms and are given to cattle too and made into tea. In fact there are white , red and black mulberry trees most of the ancient world cultivated them for their berries and for shade, animal food and also to cure certain diseases.
King James I in England decided that Britain should try to outdo France in producing silk. So he brought in tens of thousands of mulberry treeess, but the project was something of a disaster as these were black mulberry trees and the worms prefer white, also the British climate did not suit the trees ! White mulberry trees were planted y Henry IV of France in the Tuileries gardens in Paris in order to encourage silk production.
The fruit of the mulberry is full of vitamins - , A, C, E and K -and has anti-oxidant properties, so they are not only delicious but also good for us.
There is a saying that « with time and patience a mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown », I don’t think I will be going down that route but a small mulberry bush in my garden would be a wonderful asset.
A dwarf mulberry is called mojo berry or bonbonberry in France, a hardy, rustic, compact shrub which gives plenty of fruit, is easy to look after, resistant and just sounds like the perfect solution. I can’t wait to plant one in the autumn, and have my first taste next summer of that sunshine in my mouth.
