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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Mulberry ID,winter buds

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  • From: Lucky Pittman <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>
  • To: griffingardens@earthlink.net, North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Mulberry ID,winter buds
  • Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 12:18:33 -0600

At 10:02 AM 2/15/2005 -0600, you wrote:
Lucky,
Argh! the USDA plant database shows rubra with shiny leaves, the opposite
of the VT site listed below.
http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=plant_profile.cgi&symbol=MOAL
&photoID=moal_001_avd.tif
It does seem that alba is the big problem rather than rubra. Maybe nigra is
the best answer - hardy to zone 6 only.

Shiny leaves - it's alba or a hybrid.
In my book, alba is the potential invasive. Rubra is native, and nowhere that I've ever lived(AL, TN, MO, KY) have I ever seen more than an occasional tree here and there.
Back home in AL, as well as on the farm here in KY, there are occasional M.rubra trees scattered throughout the woods - they're part of the normal diverse mix of hardwoods, and may be more prominently viewed along country roads - mainly because they're more visible there, but also because they've had a chance to germinate and grow following the disruption of road building.
While I've not had a chance to sample M.nigra fruits - and they always get rave reviews, I've yet to come across an M.rubra in fruit that wasn't worth taking the time to pick every ripe fruit I could reach or shake out.

M.rubra actually makes a decent fencepost, as well - not quite as long-lasting as its cousin the Osage Orange, but pretty doggone good. I remember my dad cutting down a big old M.rubra in my grandparents' backyard 30 years ago, splitting it to make 4 good posts, and using them in the fence around the garden, and I believe I could still show you at least one of them that's still standing in the fenceline, albeit a bit shaky at ground level.

LLP





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