The Best Mulberry Tree for Georgia

Red Mulberry

• Because it is a native plant, red mulberry is well-suited to grow in Georgia. The species ranges throughout the eastern United States and is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. Red mulberry has reddish-brown bark and lobed leaves with rough upper sides and hairy undersides. The tree usually bears either male or female flowers, with only the female flowers producing the 1-inch-long, dark-red to purple fruits. Red mulberry's fruiting season is longer than that of white mulberry. Eat the berries fresh from the tree or use them to make jams, jellies, wine and pies. More than 60 kinds of birds and a wide variety of other wildlife eat the fruits. Although black mulberry reportedly produces fruits with the best taste, red mulberry's fruits are considered a close second. Some gardeners prefer to plant fruitless, male red mulberry because it doesn't produce the litter of fallen fruits that can stain pavement, sidewalks and lawn furniture.

Black Mulberry

• Black mulberry is the smallest mulberry species, reaching about 30 feet tall and likely to form a bush if not trained to a tree shape when young. Native to western Asia, black mulberry was valued as a fruit tree in Europe starting before the Roman Empire. The tree's ripe, black fruits are large and juicy with what is considered a good balance of sweetness and tartness. The fruits are best when eaten as soon as they are ripe because they have a short shelf life and bruise easily. Two black mulberry cultivars are "Black Persian" (Morus nigra "Black Persian") and "Noir" (Morus nigra "Noir"). Black mulberry is hardy in USDA zones 7 through 10.

White Mulberry

• Native to Japan and China, white mulberry was taken in the 1600s to what was later named Georgia. The tree's introduction was part of an effort to start a silkworm industry in the American colonies. White mulberry has light-brown to gray bark, and its leaves usually have a smooth upper side. A female tree produces abundant white to pinkish violet fruits that are not considered very flavorful. A drawback of white mulberry is its tendency to be invasive in some regions and habitats, including Georgia. Fibrous material from the tree's stems is used in paper-making in Europe and China. White mulberries are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Paper Mulberry

• Introduced to the United States from Japan and Taiwan, paper mulberry is a shrub or small tree that can reach 30 feet tall. Its leaves vary in shape, with small leaves oval and simple, and larger leaves tending toward deep lobes. Paper mulberry has invasive qualities, spreading to disturbed and natural areas where it displaces native species. The tree's fruits are 1/2 to 1 inch long, red and borne in clusters. In its native range, paper mulberry is used in the manufacture of paper. The golden paper mulberry cultivar (Broussonetia papyrifera "Golden Shadow") has yellow leaves and is hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9.