Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have always had a hankering for a Mulberry Tree. These huge trees can live for 400 years, and they have the most amazing fruit. Larger in size than a boysenberry, they seem to grow straight out of trunks and hardwood on the tree branches. They are beautiful to eat, and are a very attractive tree.
My ex motherinlaw in UK had a large one in her tiny Fulham house, and every year she let the fruit fall on the ground and it stained all her concrete and her carpet as it got trodden inside on shoes. I thought it was such a waste and a few times managed to pick some fruit for eating.
I have had a couple of abortive efforts at growing them...the first, I bought 3 tiny 4inch trees off trademe and only one made it through the first year. Being in pots and living in Central Otago combined to kill them off with heat exhaustion. The last one left I planted in my vege garden where it has "bonsai'd" itself. It is know about 4 years old and its still only 10inches high!
Then I bought a 2ft one off trademe from the nursery in Mapua in Nelson, where they have a famous big tree. But it died last year of unknown causes. It just curled up its leaves and died.
I have just taken delivery of two more...1 is 1.5m high and looks very healthy. The other, from a different nursery, is smaller, and I am not sure how well it will do.
The large on is now in the lawn, in its own special spot, pride of place. The smaller one has been added to the orchard....and now I cross my fingers and wait!
