Mission Statement

My goal with mande plants is to teach about medicinal and edible plants, show how to grow these plants, where to find these plants, and how to use these plants. There are many useful botanicals in our world. I will growing seasonal crops and perennial edibles using organic methods as best as possible. One of my long term goals is to grow a temperate food forest garden. As I grow new plants and harvest them I will be sharing photos and details on this blog. All photos on this blog are taken by me. If you like this blog and you would like to help me further my research you can use the paypal donate button on the right. All donations will be used to buy tools, plants, seeds, and pay for expenses needed to develop gardens.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Mulberries: Two foods, one tree.


    The Mulberry is a great addition to the permaculture garden or food forest, it's fast growing and provides two edible foods.  The fruits, being the first edible, can vary in flavor from species to species and cultivar to cultivar.  Because Mulberries can either be dioecious (plants are either male or female) or monoecious (male and female flowers on same tree) it may be a gamble to grow a mulberry from seed.

    Out of the more common mulberries Morus nigra is considered superior to Morus alba in regards to the flavor and size of the fruit.  The fruit contains anthocyanins, resveratrol, vitamin C, vitamin K, B vitamin complex, zea-xathin, beta-carotene, iron, potassium, manganese, and magnesium.  Resveratrol has a wide range of benefits, from reducing inflammation and LDL cholesterol to helping to prevent Alzheimer's disease and insulin resistance.

    The second edible crop from this tree are the leaves.  They can be used to make a tea, or cooked and eaten like many other greens.  They are great protein source, about 15% to 28%, with 15 amino acids.  The leaves contain calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin C, beta carotene, chlorophyll, fiber, and quercetin.  The leaves also contain Gamma Amino Butyric Acid, which can help to lower blood pressure, as well as 1-Deoxynojirimycin, which may help to control blood sugar levels.

  Mulberries are not picky plants, they seem to do well on minimal care.  My white mulberry puts out fruit in April and May, whereas the black mulberry fruits in the summer to early fall.  By planting both you can have a nice long harvesting season.



'Illinois everbearing' Fruit
                                                             

1 comment:

  1. The fruits, being the first edible, can vary in flavor from species to species and cultivar to cultivar.Wall planters

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