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illinois everbearing mullberry seed?

 
pollinator
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has anyone ever gotten any viable seed from  illinois everbearing mullberry...the only reason i ask is because it has virtually seedless fruit and is apparently self fertile but i have heard of female mullberry producing fruit on their own without a male near by but the seed is not viable.
 
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I just planted one of these trees a few days ago, and was also looking forward to planting the seeds in the future.

I was looking online recently about a similar question and was reading that the popular varieties sold are supposed to have both male and female flowers, and I would think to have fruit, fertilization would have to occur, but I'm no botany expert.

Looking forward to seeing if anyone has had success with this!
 
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I've just planted two native red mulberry seedlings grown by someone else in the county. I am pondering my odds of a mating pair and whether i should get a plant like the everbearing to ensure fruit. My hope was for birds to start seeding the woods so native fruits could grow as i eradicate my understory of Autumn Olive. (Almost all the leaves are off trees except for the oaks -- and the autumn olive is just beginning to turn yellow. What an advantage over the native plants!)
 
Steve Thorn
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Jordan, I've been doing some research online and based on this article from Purdue, Red and White Mulberry in Indiana, it appears that you can tell if you have any viable seed by putting the seeds in water and the viable seeds usually sink to the bottom.

Interested to see if it produces viable seeds!
 
Steve Thorn
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Judielaine, I found this article from NC State Extension Morus Rubra which said under the Flower section...

"The Red mulberry has unisexual greenish flowers in small catkin-like spikes that appear in early spring with male and female flowers usually appearing on separate trees (dioecious). Trees with only male flowers obviously never bear fruit. Fertilized female flowers are followed by sweet blackberry-like edible fruits (to 1” long) that are reddish to dark purple in color. The fruits are sweet and juicy and may be eaten off the tree."

Based on that info, like you mentioned, if it was me I'd either plant a few more of the native red mulberries to ensure I had trees with both male and female flowers or plant a variety like the Illinois Everbearing.

Hope this helps!
 
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In our experience, the Illinois everbearing does not produce viable seeds but it can be propagated by air layering and by cuttings.

The wild mulberry produces many viable seeds but the fruit is not always as nice.

Best of luck
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Judielaine Bush
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Thanks Angela. Do you know if the Everbearing can cross-pollinate with the native reds and then set viable seed (obviously would not necessarily have the traits of the Everbearing). Or is the Everbearing a hybrid?
 
Angela Maas
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Sorry - I dont know the answer about being able to cross pollinate.
 
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