Mulberry Tree Size

Red Mulberry

• Red mulberry, a tree suitable for U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8, grows larger than the very similar white mulberry. Red mulberry matures to average heights between 35 and 50 feet, with widths in the 35- to 40-foot range. In some instances, this type of mulberry grows as tall as 80 feet. The largest individuals have trunks as wide as 24 inches.

White Mulberry

• The white mulberry, cold hardy to some parts of USDA zone 4, has a denser canopy of branches than the red mulberry possesses. White mulberry grows between 30 and 50 feet tall, with its width usually close to its height. White mulberry is more slender than red mulberry, with the biggest trees having a trunk about half the diameter of the largest red mulberries.

Texas Mulberry

• The Texas mulberry (Morus microphylla) is a much smaller native mulberry, sometimes in tree form but sometimes no bigger than a large shrub. Scattered throughout southern parts of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, the Texas mulberry rarely gets taller than 20 feet. Even the biggest specimens will have a trunk diameter of just 8 inches, making this form appropriate for small yards or for creating groves in naturalized areas of the property.

Cultivar Size

• Of the different mulberries, the white mulberry has suitable landscaping cultivars, with some having mature sizes differing from the parent species. Mapleleaf and Fruitless are white mulberry cultivars that do not generate fruit, since they only come in male forms. Both grow to heights and widths around 40 feet. Pendula is a common weeping type of white mulberry, downsized from the parent tree to only 20 feet high.

Considerations

• No matter what size the mulberry of your choice attains, you should consider the mess created by the fruit the female trees produce. The edible berries fall from the tree onto driveways, walkways and cars if you plant the tree in proximity to them. They stain them and become a nuisance, often winding up on the soles of your shoes and making their way into your home. The fruitless forms are a much better landscaping choice for this reason.