Why are there so few Mulberry trees around? The fruit is delicious.

Question

I just had some from the only tree in our local park.

Answer 1

Mulberries grow mostly in warmer countries. Anyway, people in the UK don't plant trees for their frut, it seems. As someone coming from Eastern Europe, I do notice that the concept of picking berries or anything else edible from trees or bushes is a strange concept for the Brits. Apparently, everything comes from shops and supermarkets, so if you see a tree or a bush with juicy sweet berries, it's there just to look pretty. And birds get it all :(

Picking berries is very common in Russia and Eastern European countires (mostly because there are still some forests and unspoilt land). In the UK, where almost every bit of land is private property, you really have to watch out.

Answer 2

Most people do not grow mulberries because they are poisonous trees in all of their parts and unripe fruit can cause extreme sickness, nausea, dizziness, and hallucinations. The sap of the tree is milky and thick -- this is why silkworms were grown on mulberries.  

The only time that mulberries can be eaten is when the fruits are completely ripe.  The process of ripening causes the phytotoxins (the poison) contected with chlorophyll in the fruit to degrade.  By the time that the fruit is ripened, the toxins are gone.

Another minor reason is that many people do not like the tiny stems that stay on after picking.  

Here in the central U.S., it is very common to find mulberry trees growing along creeks and on the edges of woods.  They are commonly spread by birds.

Here is a link to buy your own (the company is located in the U.K.)

http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/880/mia/d...

Answer 3

Birth control mate.

Answer 4

Dont know of hardly any in the Uk any more.

Used to be in the playground of the nursery school I went to - and yes, the fruit is delicious.  And yes, we used to link hands and dance around it too.

Answer 5

Since you don't mention your geographic location, it's hard to say.  My grandmother had one in her backyard in Mississippi, and I agree that they are delicious.   I will say that planned suburban neighborhoods often choose trees for landscaping that do not bear fruit, because they can be a bit messy in terms of yard work.  However, there's no reason a homeowner can't plant one of his own.

Answer 6

Because you have eaten them all

Answer 7

Was it a cold and frosty morning?

Answer 8

I don't know where you are, possibly America? But here in England, some varieties don't grow particularly well, and most won't grow them in gardens because they can get very big.

Answer 9

You picked it off of a tree in your park?!?  The cops are going to bust you for stealing from the city!  lol  And if the cops don't bust you the birds are gonna attack you for stealing their food!