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Where are all the mulberry trees in Toronto?

Arob

Arob

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Has anyone else noticed that the mulberries are excellent this year?
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Why do Torontonians completely ignore this nutritious and tasty fruit? Why doesn't everyone know that this berry packs some serious vitamins and potent anti-bacterial and fungal fighting natural compound? The leaves, fruit and bark of mulberry trees have been used for centuries for medicine... right up until the last century it seems. This is the same species of tree on which silk worms live - no kidding. And yet they grow ignored in backyards, parks and they are left to dirty sidewalks and are cursed by pollen sufferers throughout our great city.

When I stop and eat the berries that dangle from branches right before my eyes, people think I'm deranged or homeless or special. But I say 'eat them!' Eat these black bits of mother nature and rejoice at the gift.

MY MULBERRY FANTASY: I'd like to document the locations of the biggest and most prolific mulberry trees in Toronto and next summer plan to harvest the fruit. A cool charity would be to make pies, tarts, pastries - ice cream desserts, cocktails in connection with some kind of festival.

HELP REPORT MULBERRY TREE LOCATIONS

1. There are several trees in High Park, I know of at least seven along the concrete path off-leash dog walk area on the east side of the park. These are loaded with fruit.

2. There is large tree at the 2980 Queen St East halfway up the hill across from the water filtration plant on the north side of the street. Right beside the variety store. This tree absolutely purples the sidewalk.
 
I've only heard of them, but never tried them. Wouldn't even be able to recognize them if I saw one.
I'd try them though!
 
There are two nice ones on Wellesley Street just west of Church (in the little park) and another along the Don River trail about 500 metres south of the Riverdale Bridge. Mulberries are lovely - though not too sweet if I remember right - but I have never seen them for sale here.
 
I'm a mulberry forager, too. But all too often the problem is when the branches are too high up to reach--at least, if you can empathize with those who're put off by unsightly splattered sidewalks.

Don't forget Saskatoon/serviceberries (whose season has just ended or is close to it, depending on the kind of tree and location) as underrated (and surprisingly common) foraging fodder, and maybe in a few paths and ravines any variety of raspberry/blackberry/thimbleberry...
 
Don't know about mulberry, but what is the white-looking leaf on a tree common in the GTA? I see them all the time but don't have a photo.

I asked a friend and he didn't know, but its an interesting tree. There's only one lighter colored tree leaf that I know of in the area, its deciduous and not coniferous.
 
Actually its more of a silver look, and the trees are all over the side of the highways from Hamilton to Oakville up through Mississauga.
 
DSC said:
There are two nice ones on Wellesley Street just west of Church (in the little park) and another along the Don River trail about 500 metres south of the Riverdale Bridge. Mulberries are lovely - though not too sweet if I remember right - but I have never seen them for sale here.
Click to expand...

At the foot of the driveway (west side) where I live at 100 Wellesley there is a large mulberry tree. They're rather tame in taste, not as tart as say raspberries or blackberries and just sweet enough. They're very good and they're plentiful right now. If anyone is around the area just look on the pavement for the black stains, then look up and you'll see the tree. A quick jump will easily net you a branch and a handful of great tasting mulberries.
 
Last summer, about two weeks before they were ready to be picked, the five beautiful mulberry trees outside the former Hummingbird Centre were clearcut. There was really no need to do it, because the hoarding for the 'L' Tower could have been erected in front of them. The landscape firm that tends the grounds was surprised, because they had been prepared to rootball the trees and transport them to their nursery north of the city. Normally, the fruit ripens in early July, hereabouts, and this is the second summer that the trees could have continued to bear fruit ... for my jams. So far I've made gooseberry jam, and - up next - will be redcurrant, raspberry and blackcurrant all from my back garden.
- Urban "Greenthumbs" Shocker.
 
We had a mulberry tree in our back yard, growing up in Bermuda....they don't grow well there, the tree only bore two or three berries a year...but they were good, for such a sad looking tree.
 
What was so good about the Hummingbird mulberry trees was that they were of the weeping variety, and limited in height - there was no need to reach up to get the fruit. Standing beside the trunk, beneath the dense canopy of downward-arching branches, made for a very efficient harvest.

Best picked when slightly overripe and practically falling off the branches, the berries don't keep for long.
 
Urban Shocker said:
What was so good about the Hummingbird mulberry trees was that they were of the weeping variety, and limited in height - there was no need to reach up to get the fruit. Standing beside the trunk, beneath the dense canopy of downward-arching branches, made for a very efficient harvest.
Click to expand...

*And*, no unavoidably spattered sidewalk.
 
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