Mulberry care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Mulberry (Morus alba) wants full sun and a drink about every 7 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9.
| scientific name | Morus alba |
|---|---|
| family | Moraceae |
| category | tree |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 7 |
| mature height cm | 1200 |
| min zone | 4 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| edible | true |
How often should I water Mulberry?
Fast, messy, generous; plant away from paving.
Is Mulberry toxic?
We do not have a verified toxicity record for this species, so we will not say either way. Treat it as unknown around pets and children until a vet or a poison-control source says otherwise.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is medium. Its moisture use is low. Its drought tolerance is medium. It wants at least about 30 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 60 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.0. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.0. Its fertility requirement is low. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. It needs at least 130 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is medium. Its fire tolerance is low. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -18°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a single stem form. Its growth rate is moderate. Its lifespan is moderate. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads by seed at a moderate rate. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: yes. Its tolerance of hedging is low. At maturity it reaches about 50.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 30 feet. Its roots go down at least 24 inches. Its shape is rounded. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
It blooms in early spring. The flowers are green. Conspicuous in flower: no. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is medium. In summer the canopy is moderate in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is purple. Fruit begins in spring. Fruit finishes by summer. It fruits high. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: yes. Seedling vigour is high. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · 2026-09-02