Pipturus argenteus
The Native Mulberry is a non-stinging nettle that produces fruit so delicious, you’ll be competing with the local wildlife. This is a fast-growing species that may be cultivated as a shrub or small tree. In nature, it can be found on the margins of rainforests in south-eastern, subtropical Queensland. You’ll also find it on the islands off the coast of QLD and across the Papuan Islands.
The fruits of the Native Mulberry are small and white, almost translucent in appearance. Like strawberries, they bear their seeds on the outside. They are soft and juicy, with a sweet and delicate flavour, though like conventional mulberries, can vary in taste and texture. The leaves, roots and sap have recorded usage in traditional medicine, while the bark was used for textiles and cordage. Flowering typically occurs from January to June, with fruit ripening between May and July.
Simply pluck the berries off the branch — though you may find the riper berries too soft to harvest easily. Native Mulberry trees are dioecious, meaning they may be male or female. They prefer warm climates, full sun and soils with good drainage. This rainforest species does not enjoy dry conditions, but can recover from droughts with heavy pruning.
As a warm region plant, it won’t respond well to frost either, so gardeners in colder areas should consider keeping their trees in a hothouse or inside the home. Younger plants have been known to look somewhat leggy, but with clever pruning and care, a mature Native Mulberry fills out nicely, reaching heights of 3-8m even in a home garden. In fact, if a native edible hedge is what you are after, look no further.
This species is a welcoming host for Jezebel Nymph, White Nymph, Speckled Line-Blue, Yellow Admiral and other attractive butterfly species.
In the wild, you would find a mulberry tree happily living in a wet forest or near a water source. It also needs lots of sunlight and by the same token, actually offers plenty of shade.
Both the red and white mulberry tree have berries that you would easily mistake for blackberries and the white mulberry in particular spreads like wildfire.
Here’s a little tip – both the leaves and the not yet ripe mulberry fruit contain latex. It’s slightly toxic so best to wait for ripe fruit.
Native mulberry belongs to the Urticaceae family, more commonly known as stinging nettles. This particular mulberry is of the non-stinging nettle kind though. It grows really fast and could be a shrub or a tree.
You would find the native mulberry in the rainforests of Queensland and also off its coast.
The fruit of the native mulberry is delicious! The small fruit is white with the seeds on the outside of the fruit and it’s sweet and juicy. Mulberries are known for their taste and texture being a bit of a surprise sometimes as it’s not always the same.
Indigenous Australians soon realised the benefits of the native mulberry for traditional medicine and they used it all – the leaves, roots and sap.
Women and children ate the seeds, and the plant could be used for a cough or burn, even malaria. The wood of the native mulberry proved useful for building things.
It takes about 10 years for a mulberry tree to produce fruit. The fruit is quite power packed with vitamins like vitamin C, A, E and K. It’s also mineral rich in things like potassium, iron and magnesium.
If you’re looking to boost your dietary fibre, stock up and fill up on mulberry tree fruit. The fruit is sweet but the taste isn’t always consistent.
So what can you do with the fruit or how is it used? It can definitely be eaten raw, but is also popular to make jam and in baked goods. It’s used to make wine, juice and tea too. You can even dry the fruit for later consumption.
The mulberry tree fruit is known for having loads of health benefits. It’s great for managing blood sugar and cholesterol, helps your heart and circulation, and has brain and immunity boosting properties too.
If you want to save your mulberries for later, they are ideal for freezing. After defrosting they become paste like so pop them in a smoothie for a power packed meal on the go. Mulberries are high in protein so you’ll feel satisfied. Mulberries can also be dried and kept in a sealed container.
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