Morus alba (White Mulberry)

[pombazaar]

I recently stayed at an airbnb and noticed two giant Morus alba trees in the backyard. I spoke with the host of the house and asked if they knew that they had mulberry trees in their backyard. To their surprise they had no idea nor have ever tasted a mulberry. They were so excited and gave me permission to make some air layers and come back when they are ready. Here are some photos

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[greenfig]

Nice! I would be interested in the taste profile. I've been looking for a good white mulberry but haven't found a decent one.

[pombazaar]

These had a light honey-ish taste mixed with a wild berry sort of profile. I've always thought white mulberries tend to have this flavor. What varieties have you tasted? There's a few that are truly white / no pigment but those are less common. The ones in my photos turn a slight shade of purple as they ripen.

[greenfig]

Here are 2 whites I tried. On the right is Saharanpur, very sweet (almost too sweet), on the left was a no name but unremarkable. Himalayan at 6 o’clock was excellent.

[pombazaar]

Wow! Saharanpur seems interesting, do you know if they were fully ripe like that? They looks more green than white so I was surprised to hear how sweet they were. I've been wondering how well the Pakistan or Himalayan varieties would hold up in ground here.

Pure White (DMOR 90) is one you may be interested in. It's said to have an excellent flavor that tastes likes bananas. This one is a true white mulberry with no pigment that was collected in New York. It should grow pretty much anywhere.

[greenfig]

Yes, the Saharanpur is greenish, and what you see is fully ripe. This mulberry goes under a few other names too, you can search only what people say. See here: http://fruitsandgardening.blogspot.com/ ... l.html?m=1

Do you have a Pure White by any chance? Or where to get one?
Both blacks were excellent but I still liked the Himalayan a bit more.

[pombazaar]

I am in the process of getting some scions to graft and can send you some. I've not had much luck rooting cuttings in water so I think grafting is probably the best method of propagation. GRIN also has this variety available if you are a researcher.

Do you prefer sweeter varieties or ones that are slightly acidic? If your preference leans towards sweet, Shangri La is one that you may want to look into that would grow great in your zone. Another potential I would consider is Tehama.

[greenfig]

I have a Shangri La, but it’s black. I was looking for a white variety for a diversity.

I did order from GRIN but was denied. If you have a spare cutting, I would appreciate it, thank you. I hope yours is better from what I tasted.

[pombazaar]

Haha, I know Shangri La is black. I was just spouting off varieties that I've read about that seemed intriguing. I don't have any black mulberries yet but was thinking about trying this one out. How does it compare to other black varieties you've tasted?

[greenfig]

Shangri La and Himalayan are my favorite so far. Sweet with acidity, large and juicy. Quite productive too.
I have a small Dwarf Thai but it’s too early to compare, maybe next year.
I tried to root a Noire de Spain and it did root, sent two leaves and then died
Maybe I will buy a tree or so if I don’t find any good white variety.