# Mulberry.....maybe?



## Northern Neck Burl Bros. (Feb 24, 2016)

Can anyone tell me what this is? I was told mulberry but not really sure with the bark. I don't have any in my yard so I'm using Google to compare images. I'm in Virginia. Thanks for your help!


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## Kevin (Feb 24, 2016)

He's correct it's mulberry. I have a harder time distinguishing between red white or black without seeing the fruit but based on the bark my guess is red mulberry.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## barry richardson (Feb 24, 2016)

I vote Mulberry...

Reactions: Like 2


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## Northern Neck Burl Bros. (Feb 24, 2016)

Appreciate it guys!


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## Kevin (Feb 24, 2016)

You ought to forget about messing with that paulownia and get all the mulberry logs you can. It's an excellent species for just about all types of woodworking and turning. And the fruit is a near superfood chocked full of all kinds of vitamins and antioxidants.

Reactions: Like 1


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## CWS (Feb 24, 2016)

Kevin said:


> He's correct it's mulberry. I have a harder time distinguishing between red white or black without seeing the fruit but based on the bark my guess is red mulberry.


 I think alot of us could tell what kind if we seen the friut. Just Say'n

Reactions: Funny 4


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## phinds (Feb 24, 2016)

based on my limited experience, I'd say the the thickness of the sapwood suggests red mulberry as opposed to white mulberry and this jibes w/ Kevin's belief that it's likely red.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mr. Peet (Feb 24, 2016)

Curt, not sure if you are busting on Kevin, or serious in your reply. The simple truth is not in just the fruit. Even the leaves within a specie has great variability. The common Red Mulberry has berries that are red, orange, black, purple, white and yellow. There are likely multiple shades of color in between those mentioned. I have only seen, red, dark red, purple and a deep reddish blue for _Morus_ _rubra_, red mulberry. The other shades are that which I have read of. Nice find Brian...

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## CWS (Feb 25, 2016)

Just having fun with Kevin. I have little knowledge of mulberry except what I have is yellow and not as heavy as Osage.


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## Kevin (Feb 25, 2016)

I always heard that the colors of the fruit are supposed to be pretty close to their names when they are at apex ripeness, but I have only ever seen red mulberry in person. That's what we have in abundance here and although you can see red in them, the berries are closer to black than red. But I know red mulberry mostly by the leaves which down here at least are vaguely similar to sassafras (which we also have but very few; I have yet to notice one large enough to put on my mill). 

I do know where one white one grows in town but it's off the beaten path and I never can remember to look at it when it is fruiting which should be starting right about now. I also remember hearing Neil Sperry once say that 2 of the mulberries can hybridize I can't remember which way it works though I think he said red and white.


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## truettb (Mar 1, 2016)

Looks like you've gotten plenty of affirmation, but I couldn't help myself; I've been wrestling with a big mulberry log that went down a few weeks ago in my Atlanta neighborhood. 
The round cut is from near the base (roughly 36" x 44"); the color's a bit off 'cause I'd already painted it with end-grain sealer (hope springs eternal). It's even got the narrow slot of rot across the cookie like yours (I assume that's what it is).
The detail shot is a close-up from one of the slabs I've taken that are about 28" to 40" across. 
When I cut into it, the chips were bright yellow (see photo)! Amazing, never seen anything quite like it. A little sunlight, like an hour, and it settles into a nice rich brown, but the sapwood is still bright white. I think I'll sand and shellac some to see if that preserves the yellow hue. 
BTW, just joined up here. Hello to all!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Kevin (Mar 1, 2016)

truettb said:


> I think I'll sand and shellac some to see if that preserves the yellow hue.



It won't.

Truett please go to the introduction forum and tell us a little about yourself. Thanks!


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## phinds (Mar 1, 2016)

@truettb , Kevin is right. You can see the color change and some discussion of it on my site.

And by the way, welcome to the fourm. Nice set of pics.


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## truettb (Mar 1, 2016)

Kevin said "It won't."

_Hmmm, disappointing. What happened when you tried? I've seen it go brown in a matter of hours, so rapidly that if I left a hammer or piece of 2x4 on top of a slab, the image was left in yellow when I came back. Everything else was brown. I'm wondering what the yellow color is soluble in? Alcohol, for example...?

Truett_


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## phinds (Mar 2, 2016)

Truett, two of your posts were merged to form the one previous to this, which is clearly what you intended as a single post.

When you put on a UV blocker, it slows the process some but nothing will prevent it in the long run.


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## Mr. Peet (Mar 2, 2016)

Truett,

Welcome. In your stump cut cookie I see two stems that grew together, not rot but included bark. This is somewhat common. If the two were from the same seed, then genetically the same and will readily fuse into one. Even if they are very close in genetics, trees can naturally fuse. We push the envelope a bit with apple and other stock by grafting. As for Brian's picture, not sure if it is a stump shot or branch union shot, but basically the same actions in play.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Northern Neck Burl Bros. (Mar 3, 2016)

Mr. Peet said:


> Truett,
> 
> Welcome. In your stump cut cookie I see two stems that grew together, not rot but included bark. This is somewhat common. If the two were from the same seed, then genetically the same and will readily fuse into one. Even if they are very close in genetics, trees can naturally fuse. We push the envelope a bit with apple and other stock by grafting. As for Brian's picture, not sure if it is a stump shot or branch union shot, but basically the same actions in play.



Good call Mr. Peet! That's exactly what mine is.


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## barry richardson (Mar 3, 2016)

Well just to throw a wrench in things, my understanding is that all the Mullberries that were planted in abundance around here in the past are a fruitless white mulberry, and they are dead ringers for Brian's first pics......

Reactions: Like 1


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## Northern Neck Burl Bros. (Mar 3, 2016)

barry richardson said:


> Well just to throw a wrench in things, my understanding is that all the Mullberries that were planted in abundance around here in the past are a fruitless white mulberry, and they are dead ringers for Brian's first pics......



Let the debate begin! Haha


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## Northern Neck Burl Bros. (Mar 3, 2016)

@barry richardson 

It's to bad I didn't find this site until after I moved back to Virginia. We were practically neighbors. I spent the last 15 years living in Surprise. You should have seen the look on my friends faces out here when I told them that mesquite was great fire wood.


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## truettb (Mar 7, 2016)

Mr. Peet said:


> Truett,
> 
> Welcome. In your stump cut cookie I see two stems that grew together, not rot but included bark. This is somewhat common. If the two were from the same seed, then genetically the same and will readily fuse into one. Even if they are very close in genetics, trees can naturally fuse. We push the envelope a bit with apple and other stock by grafting. As for Brian's picture, not sure if it is a stump shot or branch union shot, but basically the same actions in play.



Mr. Peet,
I went out after I read your post and explored my butt log cuts; they were originally packed full of some rich-appearing soil, with various things growing out. Once I cleared that out, indeed! Bark, and on one surface, a small branch growing out. On the outer periphery, there is one invagination that sort of recapitulates what I saw on the interior; I could see that one's potential for growing inward on itself and creating a second "slot". Fascinating what plants do. Thanks for the heads up!
Truett


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