Oregon · Washington · Idaho
When to plant mulberry trees
Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 1 – Apr 26; Spokane Apr 1 – May 27; Boise Mar 20 – May 15; Bend Apr 28 – Jun 23.
Your dates in
Mulberries are fast-growing trees from Asia and North America with fruit that looks like a long blackberry, eaten fresh, in pies or dried. The fruit can be black, red or white depending on the variety, and white mulberry leaves are the food of silkworms. Dwarf and weeping forms fit small yards.
Puts mulberry trees on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 15 to 30 feet apart, depending on variety
- Planting depth
- Same depth as in the pot or nursery
- Frost
- Most are very hardy; Pakistan types need mild winters
- First harvest
- First fruit in two to three years
Fast-growing trees with sweet, blackberry-like fruit that ripens over several weeks in summer. Most varieties need no second tree. The fruit stains, so plant away from driveways, patios and parked cars.
Mulberry planting dates
| Towns | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|
| Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 23 |
| Astoria, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.
| Gresham, OR, Oregon City and West Linn, OR, Portland, OR, St. Helens and Scappoose, OR, Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR | Mar 5 – Apr 30 |
| Corvallis and Albany, OR, Eugene, OR, Salem, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Cottage Grove, OR | Mar 13 – May 8 |
| McMinnville and Newberg, OR | Mar 4 – Apr 29 |
| Ashland and Talent, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Grants Pass, OR, Medford, OR, Roseburg, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Astoria, OR, Brookings and Gold Beach, OR, Coos Bay and North Bend, OR, Newport and Lincoln City, OR, Tillamook, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|
| Bend and Redmond, OR, Klamath Falls, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 23 |
|---|---|
| Burns, OR | Apr 30 – Jun 25 |
| Lakeview, OR | Apr 23 – Jun 18 |
| Madras, OR, Prineville, OR | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
| Baker City, OR, Enterprise and Joseph, OR, John Day, OR | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
|---|---|
| Hermiston, OR, Hood River, OR, Ontario, OR, Pendleton, OR, The Dalles, OR | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| La Grande, OR | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA, Everett, WA, Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Olympia, WA | Mar 18 – May 13 |
| Shelton, WA | Mar 16 – May 11 |
| Anacortes, WA, Bellingham, WA, Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA, Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA, Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA, Forks, WA, Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Port Angeles, WA, Port Townsend, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Sequim, WA | Mar 10 – May 5 |
| Centralia and Chehalis, WA | Mar 11 – May 6 |
|---|---|
| Longview and Kelso, WA, Vancouver, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Chelan, WA, Wenatchee, WA | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| Leavenworth, WA, Omak and Okanogan, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Winthrop and Twisp, WA | Apr 3 – May 29 |
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|---|
| Ephrata and Quincy, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA, Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA, Walla Walla, WA | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| Goldendale, WA | Apr 7 – Jun 2 |
| Yakima, WA | Mar 27 – May 22 |
| Colville, WA, Pullman, WA, Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|
| Bonners Ferry, ID, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID, Sandpoint, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|
| Lewiston, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| Moscow, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID, Emmett, ID, Nampa and Caldwell, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| McCall, ID | May 11 – Jul 6 |
| Burley and Rupert, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Pocatello, ID, Rexburg, ID, Twin Falls, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|---|
| Salmon, ID | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
Mulberry year at a glance
| Task | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Mar | Apr | ||||||||||
| Harvest | Jun | Jul | Aug | |||||||||
| In bloom | Apr | May |
Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates. Harvest months are for an established plant.
How to grow mulberry trees
- Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
- Plant mulberry trees on your city's dates, 15 to 30 feet apart, depending on variety. Same depth as in the pot or nursery.
- Water deeply through the first two summers. Prune in late winter to keep the tree a size you can pick and net.
- Harvest: Ripe berries drop at a touch. Spread a sheet under the branches and shake gently. The harvest lasts several weeks in summer.
Growing mulberry trees in your part of the Northwest
The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.
West-side valleys
Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon
Mulberries grow well here and ripen over several weeks in summer. Birds love them, and dropped fruit stains paths and patios.
East of the Cascades
Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho
Mulberries handle heat and dry spells well once established.
More mulberry varieties
More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.
Illinois Everbearing
Sweet, rich berries over many weeks, and very cold-hardy. The top pick for most Northwest gardens.
Both sides
Gerardi Dwarf
Stays about 6 to 8 feet tall, so it fits small yards and large containers.
Both sides
Pakistan
Very long, sweet fruit. Less cold-hardy than Illinois Everbearing, so plant it only in mild west-side gardens.
West side
How much to grow
How many to plant
One tree is enough; many varieties fruit without a pollinator.
What to expect
A mature tree gives a large crop over several weeks.
Storing the harvest
Keep a day or two in the fridge. Freeze extras.
Key numbers
- 2–3Years to fruit
- Usually self-fertilePollination
- Summer, over weeksHarvest
- Stains and birdsBiggest risk
Top care tip: Prune in late winter to keep the tree small enough to net and pick.
Growing notes
What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.
Choosing a mulberry
Fruiting mulberries are fast, tough trees with sweet berries that look like long blackberries. Illinois Everbearing, a hybrid, is the most popular choice for flavor, hardiness and a long picking season.
Full-size trees reach 30 feet or more. Gerardi Dwarf stays small enough for a large pot or small yard. Pakistan has very long fruit but is less cold-hardy, so it suits only the mildest gardens.
Siting it right
Ripe berries drop and stain. Plant over lawn or mulch, away from driveways, patios, sidewalks and where cars park. Birds love the fruit, and they spread the seeds.
Mulberries grow in most soils in full sun and handle drought once established. Water deeply through the first two summers.
Harvest and pruning
Berries ripen over several weeks in summer. Spread a sheet under the tree and give the branches a gentle shake; ripe fruit falls. Eat them fresh or freeze them. They don't keep long.
Prune in late winter to keep the tree a size you can pick and net. Mulberries bleed sap if pruned in spring, which is harmless but messy.
Good neighbors
Good neighbors
- Lawn or mulch underneath. Dropped fruit stains paving.
Pests and problems
What most often goes wrong with mulberry trees in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.
Birds
Signs: Birds share the crop.
What to do: Plant a big enough tree to share.
Stains
Signs: Purple stains on paving and cars.
What to do: Site away from driveways and paths.
Common questions about growing mulberry trees
When should I plant mulberry trees in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?
Plant in the garden: Mar 1 – Apr 26 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 1 – May 27 in Spokane, Mar 20 – May 15 in Boise and Apr 28 – Jun 23 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.
Do mulberries need a pollinator?
Most fruiting varieties, including Illinois Everbearing, set fruit without a second tree.
Will mulberries stain my patio?
Yes. Dropped fruit stains paving and cars. Plant the tree over lawn or mulch.
Which mulberry is best for the Northwest?
Illinois Everbearing is the safest pick: hardy, productive and sweet. Gerardi Dwarf suits small spaces.
See what else to plant in March or April.
Apple trees
Pear trees
Plum trees
Cherry trees
Peach trees
Fig trees
Hazelnut trees
Asian pear trees
Persimmon trees
Quince trees