Wildlife and domestic farm productions greatly benefit from the many beneficial uses of wild mulberry plants. It is not uncommon to see deer, squirrels, foxes, coyotes, and several other forms of wild and domestic animals eating parts of this leafy plant. Some animals also eat the leaves of this tree as a delicious vegetable.
The mulberry plant grows best in tropical and subtropical climates. This tree can be found in almost any climate zone, including the southern part of the United States and southwestern portions of Africa and India. While some parts of the plant are shade tolerant, others prefer more sun than shaded areas.
Mulberry trees are most commonly cultivated as garden plants or cuttings. They are usually sold for home consumption at farmers’ markets and nurseries. Mulberry flowers appear in the spring and thrive for several years before dying back to the ground. While the flowers are small, the fruits are large and sweet with a pleasant after taste. Mulberry plants can be grown in almost any soil type and will grow up to four feet tall.
In the wild, the insects which are attracted to the leaves of the mulberry tree grow and feed on the leaves. One example of a type of insect is the wolf spider. This species of spider does not eat the leaves of the plant, but will feed off of any crawling insect that comes near it. Other insects include ladybugs, aphids, lacewings, thrips and spiders. If you do not want to attract these types of insects to your garden, you can create barriers to prevent them from getting to the plant.
You can purchase mulberry plant seeds from many gardening stores or you can grow your plants from seed. Most seeds require about twelve hours of light, but can be started growing immediately if you have direct sunlight. Since most of these plants grow best in partial shade, you may have to supplement their light source with other plants.
Mulberry plants will bloom if you put them in a good quality pot. When choosing a pot, consider how much room you want to fill with soil, how deep you want to dig, what kind of drainage you need, and the color of your home. Many people use an old pot they have had for years in their home as the base of their growing mulberry plant bed. It does help to have a little knowledge about how to care for a compost bin before planting. Mulch should be added about one inch to every inch of soil in the pot, but do not put too much or it will drown the soil.