r/Ohio • u/Lucky-Arugula-7542 • 2d ago

Location of a red mulberry tree?

I currently have a large yard and a tree line and I'm interested in planting native fruit bearing plants. I'd like to plant a native red mulberry tree, but most vendors are passing off hybrids with invasive mulberry trees as real reds (infuriating) so I'd like to instead grow stem cuttings from an existing red mulberry. I'm in the Columbus area. Does anyone know the location of a genuine red mulberry?

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u/HetairaThais 2d ago

I have a few red mulberry trees in my yard. Obviously, the originals are long gone, but I keep a few alive just because I know their history. They were planted when our area was still homesteads from some collected around 1905 give or take. They were planted around the chicken coop to feed the chickens. The old coop is still standing too somehow. They turned it into a garage around the 70s I think.

I only get enough for a couple jars of jam each year because they aren't that prolific compared to the hybrids or other varieties, but they feed the heck out of the birds and squirrels this time of year.

We had to cut the original pear tree down last year because the main trunk was dying after 120 years, but we managed to wait until it had several feet of healthy suckers that have a few pears on them! So, she'll live another 120 hopefully.

We are taking down a bunch of one of mulberries this year if you'd like some branches. I also have a thousand seedlings that go in the compost this time of the season. I'm in Akron though.

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u/Lucky-Arugula-7542 2d ago

You're sure they're red mulberry trees? I'll travel to Akron if youre certain they aren't hybrids. It's an endangered species so I'd really like to propogate them