The Difference Between Balsam & Mulberry Trees

Geography

• The balsam fir is native to many northern states from Minnesota eastward to Maine. It grows as far south as parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia and northward through much of eastern and central Canada. Balsams are cold hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness Zone 3 and prefer to grow in cold climates. Mulberry trees lack such tolerance to the cold. Red mulberry (Morus rubra) is native to the eastern states, growing in extreme southern Ontario, then south to the Gulf of Mexico. White mulberry (Morus alba), introduced from China, is a naturalized species in some eastern states and the Pacific Northwest. Texas mulberry (Morus microphylla) grows in Texas and the southwestern region.

Size

• Balsam firs grow between 50 and 60 feet high, with trunks up to 18 inches wide. They take on a thin cone shape, with their crowns resembling a spire. The white mulberry matures to 40 feet, with a 12-inch wide trunk. Texas mulberry is much smaller, growing to 20 feet and featuring trunks just 8 inches wide at the most. Red mulberry can be as tall as 60 feet, with a more open appearance than the more compact white mulberry. Red mulberry trunks sometimes attain diameters of 24 inches.

Leaves

• These trees could not be farther apart in terms of the differences in their leaves. Balsam firs are evergreens, featuring dark and shiny green, aromatic needles up to an inch long. The mulberries are deciduous trees, shedding their leaves in autumn. Leaves of varied shapes appear on the same tree, with some possessing lobes and others having none. In some instances, mulberry leaves resemble the shape of a child's mitten. Mulberry foliage turns shades of yellow in the fall.

More Differences

• The balsam generates resinous cones up to 4 inches long containing the tree's seeds. Mulberry trees produce edible berries, with those of white mulberry being cream white, purple, pink or red. Red mulberry berries are reddish or purple-black, the same as those on the Texas variety. Balsams need acidic and well-draining locations in which to grow, with an aversion to hot weather and dry conditions. Mulberry trees are tolerant of drought, pollution and even exposure to salt.