Yes, that's a Mulberry. Eat them up, they are delicious!

Thanks for the speedy reply! You're right--they're delicious. :)

My mom doesn't have any recollection of having this tree planted (it's right alongside the house), and she can't even really recall how far it dates back. To *ME* it looks like quite a young tree, although its height surpasses the roof. I'm wondering, does anyone know how long it takes for mulberries to start producing fruit? Is it a multi-year maturation process? If so--and keeping in mind that this is DEFINITELY the first year it's produced fruit--about how old would that make the tree?

Don't know, mine is old and it came with the place. But mulberries are the most delicious berries I've ever tasted.

Rosefolly

I have two large trees in the backyard, they are very fast growers. I've been here 3 years & they always get berries in the spring. Gallons of berries! I canned quarts of Mulberry juice it's soooo good!

Since it's so close to your house, you might want to look into pruning it. They fruit on new wood, so I've read that you can prune right after they fruit or when they are dormant. Just no branches over two inches in diameter. I have another one right near my house which I'm pruning to a 10ft or so shrub.

Thanks for the advice about pruning, phoebe. I hadn't thought about making juice from the mulberries! What a great idea. :)

I don't know how old the tree is, but I've only been back here [in my home state of California] for two years, and I know for sure that this is the first time this tree has produced berries. We were SHOCKED when we first saw them on the driveway a few days ago! And with the VERY PURPLE stains they're leaving all over the driveway, there's just no way it could've gone unnoticed in the past. I'm just really curious as to how old the tree is--and how it got there! As I said before, my mom doesn't recall having it planted, nor can she say for sure how long it's been there. (She's been in this house for 30+ years.)

ohhh you are so lucky to be getting them!! our birds get them befor us!! LOL its funny how when your so busy you forget or not notice something from the year befor!! i do that all the time. i call it a blessing!! LOL until its something i really want to remember!! Hee hee

Oh, yes!, the birds are DEFINITELY loving the mulberries. But there are so many berries, we're still able to get a lot of them. It's funny, too, because the lowest limbs of the tree are just within my reach, but the upper limbs--which are really heavy with berries--are beyond my reach. I've taken to grabbing a lower branch and jerking it up and down to shake berries loose! (It works, too.)

I have looked for mullberrys at supermarkets at farmers markets and no one seems to know what they are and where thy might sell them. i used to go to an ecuadorian restaurant that used to serve mullberry juice (jugo de mora) that restaurant has closed and for 5 years now since i was pregnant i have had the cravin for a mullberry juice and no one seems to know where i can get a hold of then. Can someone please help me find where i can buy some mullberries please?

So jealous! I remember riding around the neighborhood on bikes with my dad and sister. My dad used to ask people if he could pick a few mulberries. Most people looked at him like he was nuts and told him to help himself. I don't think most people knew they were edible. We would gorge ourselves. I have seen them occasionally at a middle-eastern market here in Orange County, CA, called Wholesome Choice. Not often, mind you, and the shelf life is extremely short and they are very delicate, so usually the ones on the bottom get a bit smashed (decreasing the shelf life even more). I still think they are best right off the tree.

Not only juice but the most amazing jelly,cobblers,and wine. Yummy

i have a really large on like this
if anyone wants cuttings
(can you put this in the ground with rooting hormone and grow a cutting?)
I would love to trade.
I am looking for cherimoya, mamey, lucuma, chilean guava
but would consider other fruit or herbs cutting/seedling

Brad