Weeping Mulberry

Morus alba peridula

This is the weeping variety of what is colonial times were called the silkworm tree. American settlers  including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, planted mulberry freely, hoping to start a silk industry. But, for Americans, it was too time consuming to pick and feed leaves to silk worms at just the right moment. The worm will only eat them slightly wilted, rejecting a fresh leaf or one that is bodily wilted. It takes a ton of leaves to make a few pounds of silk. The mulberry is not a good landscape tree. It has neither showy flowers or pretty fall color. The fruits are black berry-like and are enjoyed by most birds.