Mulberry

Question:

We have a mulberry tree in our back yard that is very messy. The berries fall, creating a huge purple slick on our lawn not to mention the bird droppings and deer droppings left behind after they feed. Is there some way to stop this tree from producing fruit other than cutting it down?

Minnesota Master Gardeners say:

 Mulberries are notoriously messy trees. Wildlife really enjoy the fruit, compounding the mess and disseminating the seeds at the same time. Other trees also produce nuisance fruits and nuts so there is considerable interest in finding ways to keep otherwise acceptable trees from producing those messy fruits and nuts. We have had at least two inquiries about ways to keep cottonwood trees from producing cotton. One product, Florel, works on many flowering trees if applied at exactly the right time. However, it is not labeled for use on mulberry trees. In addition, the product is expensive and would have to be applied every spring. If the timing of the application is off or the environmental conditions wrong, you could waste both time and money.

From what I have read, it would probably be best to just remove the tree and plant another type of tree that would be better suited to your yard. Tree expert Michael Dirr states that mulberry trees have no landscape value except to birds (and silkworms)! By the way, only female mulberry trees produce the fruit.

Thank you for asking. I am sure many other people have wondered the same thing about mulberry trees on their property.

You can read more about mulberries and other trees that produce unwanted fruits and the possible remedies, including Florel at:
http://cf.uwex.edu/ics/infosource/fullrecord.cfm?IDnumber=673