The Pakistan Mulberry Tree

The mulberry tree is one of controversy in the Old Pueblo. Yet it's seen all over town.  Many people ask about that "beautiful leafy tree" around the city and most people shrug because they don't know what it is.  I had to go to a garden center to get answers for my questions.  I ripped a leaf off and brought it in to the tree detectives. "That's a mulberry." Queue music. Banned from the city of Tucson since the early 80's, these trees are no longer sold at garden centers. This tree is also banned from Phoenix, Las Vegas, Alburquerque, El Paso, and Las Cruces. But why do you have one then? Aren't you going to jail sometime soon?  That thought actually makes me laugh.  "What was your crime sir?"  I answer," I planted a mulberry tree in my yard."  He gasps and shouts, "You're going to hell!" Queue music aaaaaaand commercial aaaaaaaand CUT!  Have I told all of you that I have an active imagination?  It comes from teaching too many years and growing up in a large Catholic family:)     

The Pakistan Mulberry from my Fruit Garden

So the question many of you ask is why is it illegal?  Many people move to the desert southwest to escape allergies only to discover that their allergies have intensified!  One of those major trees that contribute to our allergy count is the mulberry tree.  "Ever since the 1950s, the fruitless mulberry has been planted in great quantities because it is a shade tree that is very easy to grow in a region which has endless sun and heat. The problem is that only the male varieties were planted because it was the female trees which grew messy fruits. The male trees give off huge amounts of pollen."  Read more history here from the "Leave It To Beaver" times: http://www.gardeningcentral.org/fruitless_mulberry/fruitless_mulberry.html

A weed really. Well not really but it sure grows like one ever since I put it in the ground last year.  This fruit tree is going to grow whether you like it or not.   It seems to take abuse well and will provide a tropical looking plant in your garden.  The leaves are large lush and green.  Water this plant and it grows.  Don't water it as much and it will still grow.....just not as fast.  It is also a relatively short lived tree compared to other trees in our area and can start showing decline after 25 years of age.  Currently, the city is has a lot of mulberry trees in decline.  People are trying to save them (and some from excellent care over the years, have prolonged the life on their tree) while others just have them cut down.  Some trees just stand lifeless as a reminder of a time past. I like to call them eyesores.

This thing is leafless now, but I swear it's still growing!

Today, this tree can be purchased in town if it  ONLY FRUITS as told to me from a master gardener at one of the local gardening centers.   I personally love the "berries" that grow on this tree.  There is a wonderful pruning technique known as "pollarding".  Sounds Polish.....

An example of pollarding in Europe....you all see it....now you know the term:)

"If the pruning is not completed, the tree can develop problems with weak crotches. They can allow moisture in and cause the branches to rot and fall off. This is one of the few problems with these trees as they are quite resistant to insect pests and diseases".

Another example, I took this one in Berkely, CA

The female trees don't create the pollen issues as the male tree does.  It's definitely a cool plant to have in the garden and it can grow to become one of the largest trees on your property....so be careful where you place it:) And watch out for the Allergy Police:) 
PS.  I've gotten my hands on some information in town from an informant about an ancient Avocado Tree growing in a courtyard. AND it's in my neighborhood....I nearly %#$@ myself because everyone dreams of planting avocado trees here in the desert southwest.  People have heard of these legendary stories, but none have seen them....I will be going to investigate...stay tuned.  It's said to be VERY old!

The Additions

A quick post today before school starts this week and then I won't have time to write.  I need to log a picture and info on the Bears Breeches for later comparison.



The Pakistani Mulberry Tree

 The Pakistan Mulberry is the biggest surprise this year as it has doubled in size since I put it in the ground in June.  It is legal here because it produces fruit otherwise the city of Tucson has banned non fruiting mulberries due to their heavy pollination and high allergy rate in spring.

Finally a follow up on the Bears Breeches or Acanthus Mollis.  My first blog was about an attempt to grow Gunnera....and that was a laughable attempt.  "Some would say I'm a dreamer....." It didn't grow AT ALL from seed and I watered and did everything I was told....but the simple fact is that I live in Tucson.  So I found Bears Breeches because I like the leaf structure and it has that rubarb feel like gunnera did.  I put it in too much shade and almost killed it....so I pulled it from the planter and the leaves all died, but I was told the root system is vigourous so I left it in the pot and voila!!!, if a leaf hasn't shot up from the ground....so I am happy about that as I don't want to spend money on something again if it can be saved. I have a special spot for recovery plants behind the shed...no one can see them and it gives them a second chance in my make shift plant "hospital":)  I also went to Mesquite Valley Growers today after our awesome rain event last night and was overwhelmed with so many choices...so I left and will come back when I have money:) Happy Gardening!

Backbreaking Work!

The 922 Side

Today was a great day to be outdoors. I hate holes and digging them. There are always the inevitable issues that go along with them....the caliche is there, there is concrete below, electric wire, rock, roots, toys from 1975, and the list goes on and on. It's a great way to take out your frustration but it sucks. It's not fun and I usually have to separate my days for each project because I start becoming impatient at how slow digging a hole can be. I started this morning and figured out where the mulberry tree would go. I planted the orange tree and followed up with the palms. The palms....

On the property there is one large California palm...it's big and beautiful but it's the only one. The rule in gardening is that you go with 3's....why that number I don't know, but it works. So I purchased 3 Mexican palms which have a skinnier trunk....but in the process of planting them, I tore my big toe and hurt my foot as it slipped on the shovel. Like I said, digging holes suck, but I am in a better spot than yesterday when I didn't know where to put my mulberry tree. 60 dollars and I couldn't get the damn hole deep enough to put the tree....the solution was to move it to another bright and sunny spot and it worked. However spaces on the property are becoming few and I have to be very careful with my selections. I have so many favorites I would like to put on the property....the chocolate mimosa or the catalpa, or the chinese pistache, or the loquat.....the list goes on and on....so adding a palm doesn't take a lot of room. Back to the "rule of 3".

I planted 3 palms in the different areas of the courtyard to balance and tie the other palm into the courtyard. They are fast growers so it should be interesting to see the results. I left several spaces untouched as I have very specific plants for those areas. Needless to say, I took a break after killing my feet with the shovel and tripping over a metal something or other sticking out of the ground....

At the end of the day, you sit back and wonder......in 10 years what will this all look like? What will survive and what won't? That's all for now:)

Growth and more Growth

The Satsuma Plum Tree The Caladium Garden inspired by the Amazon caladiums in Peru along the Tambobata River Mulberry Tree pics above

The beginning of summer and the heat of over 100 degrees with burning sun can be challenging. However, with a bit of planning, anyone can take nothing and make it into something. My patience is being rewarded by some really beautiful plants growing around the property. I am slowly adding a plant here or there and filling in smaller areas(and the large ones). The problem is that it is hot and I need to dig holes. Quite simply....desert ground is difficult to dig...it is sun baked and has the ability to break shovels and other garden tools. This weekend promises to be a cool one for us and so I will make my trek outside and get several more holes into the ground. I don't have many more tree spaces available so I am being really picky about what goes in the last 4 or 5 spots as they will create my canopy around the property. I have several trees in mind...one being the mulberry tree. A difficult decision. This short lived tree(25 years)is illegal in the city of Tucson as an ornamental, but the berry providing tree is not illegal. The leaves are beautiful and the fruit delicious....but the fruit can also stain sidewalks. I am planning on putting it further back from the sidewalk so we won't have the mess. I didn't know at first if I should plant this tree, but like everything, it has a cycle and will be enjoyed for years.....so why not? I found this article on why the ornamental is banned.... ABSTRACT: U.S. JOURNAL: TUCSON, ARIZ. about efforts to ban further planting of the fruitless mulberry tree in Tucson. The problem is that the tree gives off pollen, which is what a lot of people move to Arizona to avoid. People with allergies make up a sizable minority in Tucson, but people who don't suffer from them tend to take a humorous view of the subject. Ted Craig, editorial-page editor of the Tucson Citizen, began an editorial called "Mulberry Silliness" with the word "Ah-choo!" and ended it with the word "Gesundheit!"The argument against making any changes in the desert such as introducing non-native greenery, Craig wrote, "is just great if you happen to be a horned toad...and you like to breathe dust." Craig made a lot of people angry with his editorial, but that is not a new experience for him. While talking to Craig writer realized that the mulberry controversy had some elements of a class issue. The expensive houses have lawns landscaped in "desert style" but the poorer people haven't the money, or the taste or the natural setting to make that kind of landscaping possible. Craig's answer to people who object to introducing non-native plants into the area is simple: Tell them they're "non-native" themselves. End of abstract.

The plant itself is a beautiful tree that attracts native butterflies and produces a delicious dark berry off the tree. Above are some pics of the tropical looking tree but xeriscape friendly to the desert.

The citrus trees are performing well. The kumquat, lime, and lemon are all growing. However, the orange tree is being attacked by catepillars. The plant seems to be doing alright for now.

I also put in another plant well on the 922 side of the building in the courtyard. It looks great and I can't wait to put in the last two wells for that section. It will look really nice. Work continues slowly but steadily. As one section is finished, another one begins and it is constantly like this. I will say that I am seeing the changes and it is encouraging. It is beginning to feel like a woodsy, yet sunny, retreat with birds, crickets, and butterflies all around. When the final product is finished, it should be quite the show for all involved. Until next week.....I have holes to dig during this unexpected beautiful sunny and in the 80's weekend.