In 1811, Jane Austen wrote to her sister, Cassandra, in response, no doubt, to an anxious enquiry: ‘I will not say that your mulberry trees are dead, but I am afraid they are not alive.’ I know something of how the Blessed Jane felt, for my advice about the health and welfare of mulberry trees is also sometimes sought at this time of year.
The reason is simple. The black mulberry (Morus nigra) is one of the last trees to come into leaf in spring. While horse chestnut, sycamore and hazel have fully expanded their leaves, the mulberry is still in tight, discouraging bud. This year, in late April, I looked across my garden at the heavenly apple blossom (surely this is the best season for several years?) while the mulberry was resolutely twiggy and bare.
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