Possible to determine if true Morus rubra vs M. alba hybrid?
Comments (7)
Atlamol
6 years agokamereone
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoNeither of them has leafed out yet, so I'll get some better pictures when they do - will probably have to get a ladder to get a shot of the foliage, they're huuuuge trees. I haven't a clue how old they are, though I'm sure the little-old-ladies who grew up here will talk my ear off if asked - should be able to narrow down which pair was here first. ;)
Their proximity to the barn foundation (which is give or take 300yrs old) makes me think they weren't intentionally planted. I'll have to keep an eye out for other specimens... I don't recall seeing any others on the property (10 acres) and can't think of any others in town.
Long term bottom line question is, if these are true morus rubra, and thus endangered, what sort of limitations will that entail? I'm obviously not planning on clearcutting and building a Quick-E-Mart or anything, but it would be nice to prune some of the really scary limbs so I'm not constantly flinching every time he wind blows.
Plant Identification - I've inherited a 5b/6a jungle... · More Info
Plant Identification - I've inherited a 5b/6a jungle... · More InfoRelated Discussions
red oak vs. swamp white oak
Comments (32)I planted a swamp white oak 18 months ago. Was just under 5' tall container, mail order from Forest Farm. I had read that swamp whites are slow growers, but mine has been very vigorous. I think buying small is a good strategy because the 10' B&B's at the garden centers will stare at your for a couple years before taking off and require a lot more watering. This guy will catch up with the bigger ones. I just watered mine weekly during the first summer, but did not water at all the second year. Generously mulched w/ leaf compost. Grew like crazy. I had to re-establish the central leader due to heavy deer browsing. After protecting, it easily put on 2-3 feet in height and a ton of density in the second summer. The trunk really bulked up quickly too. Looks like a winner. Fall color is better than expected, kind of a pale orange. In an area like NE Ohio, which is often pretty wet but also goes through some dry spells, swamp whites seem to thrive. Unlike a lot of oaks, they can supposedly handle wet or dry. Northern reds seem to prefer somewhat drier sites. Of course, Northern Reds are still very good trees. If you are dealing with wetness and/or clay soils, an alternative is the Nuttalli. They have the best form of the reds from what I have seen around here and are starting to gain traction. Guy Sternberg developed a nice cultivar (New Madrid) that you can buy mail-order. Just got one of those too....See MoreMaple - October Glory vs. Autumn Blaze (bare with me! :))
Comments (45)Yes, we are Sunset 3B here.... The sunshine on most days and temps in summer is the reason so much agriculture grows successfully here. Of course, they irrigate. I am surprised Wenatchee is the same zone as us, but I guess it doesn't take into account the amount of snowfall they get (They are probably the -15f extreme.. we are more like -5f.) RE: the suitability of the trees I listed, The Thornless Honeylocust seems to thrive here, it does well in alkaline soil and is drought tolerant. As a prairie tree, it thrives in full sun. I have noticed many honeylocusts in yards that do not irrigate, growing just fine... The list of negatives of the tree is pretty short, and it seems very adaptable to our conditions. Linden -- RE: irrigating, I don't know. We will have some lawn on the property, so a tree/trees in that area would get more water. Linden tolerates alkaline soil and has small leaves... Thus, it seemed to be an *option.* ash -- I still have to go to our local extension office.. I will ask them about borers here. Ash also tolerates alkaline soil and was another option for my lawn area. If the borers are that bad here, I won't consider it....See MoreWill natural (interspecific) hybridization occur?
Comments (1)For anyone that happens upon this rather extensive question and wonders about possible answers, see a similar thread posted in the Fruit and Orchards Forum, linked below. Here is a link that might be useful: Will these fruits cross-polinate - same gensus/different continen...See MoreMulberries
Comments (18)Hi, I have a couple of questions regarding Mulberries: 1. I read that Morus rubra (the US native mulberry) only grows to 20' in the northeast - that it only grows to 50 or 70 in the south or mid west? I live in NJ and hope that the tree is a small one (as in around 20'). 2. Will the taste of Morus rubra's berries be significantly worse then the commercial M. alba x M. rubra hybrids, such as 'Illinois Everbearing'? 3. I really want(ed) to stick with the native variety (M. rubra), but don't want to significantly compromise on taste - could I graft a M. rubra limb onto my non-native M. alba x M. rubra hybrid (sapling) so that I have both varieties - I'll actually end up just keeping most of the tree M. rubra and only a single maintained limb of the original hybrid. 4. Will grafting the M. rubra onto the M. alba (x M. rubra) rootstock minimize the risk that M. rubra often experiences of root disease (spread by M. alba)? I figure that since the roots are not M. rubra's (at least I think they don't use M. rubra to do grafts) this would be an advantage. 5. Is M. rubra self-fertile - some sites say yes - and some say that it varies. I guess if it's female, the M. alba x M. rubra self-fertile limb would fertilize it. 6. Do you think that a 10' tall and wide Mulberry tree provides all the fruit one would want; if so, I might keep it pruned small. Thanks, Steve...See Morekamereone
6 years agokamereone
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoAnd we've got leaves!
okay so they're a bit young still...
not the best photos, lowest leaves I could get to without falling out of the tree.
speaking of bad pruning... My minimal knowledge of the art remembers something about straight vertical sprouts are a no-no. Meet tree #2, definitely the uglier of the two:
PROHome
5 years ago
wisconsitom