Lovely Mulberry

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The mulberry tree is also called the water buttercup. It is excellent for growing both in coastal areas and in various bodies of water. In ponds near country houses, this beautiful water man will look especially impressive. In addition, the mulberry tree perfectly enriches the water with oxygen. In nature, this plant can be found almost throughout Asia, America and Europe. In Russia, it is possible to find a mulberry plant in the southern part of the Far East, in Siberia and in a number of regions of the European part of the country. And in central Russia, this handsome man lives mainly in the non-black earth zone

Getting to know the plant

The beautiful mulberry is a member of the Buttercup family. It differs from other representatives of this family by the fact that it does not contain any toxic substances.

The roots of this aquatic herbaceous perennial are cord-like, and the fragile thin stems are rather branched and bare, although sometimes they are slightly pubescent at the bases of the leaves. The submarine leaves of the mulberry are dissected into a large number of filiform narrow segments, and the fan-shaped whole emergent leaves can be segmented or lobed.

Opposite the leaves are delicate flowers, the cups of which are formed by five yellowish-green sepals and fall shortly after the flowers bloom. The corolla usually consists of five white petals (much less often - of eight). In the vast majority of mulberry varieties, these petals are yellowish at the bases. The diameter of the flowers ranges from 12 to 18 mm, sometimes flowers up to 23 mm in diameter can be observed. This aquatic beauty begins to bloom in June and pleases with its wonderful flowering until the onset of frost.

Mulberry fruits are represented by multi-roots. Elliptical fruitlets are covered with numerous transverse wrinkles. Sometimes they can be hairy and pubescent. At the end of pollination, the seedlings first touch the water surface, and then they are completely immersed in water. Fruit ripening occurs in August-September.

There are several types of mulberry: round-leaved, spread-leaved, hairy, aquatic and rather rare Kaufman's mulberry.

The use of mulberry

Fishermen note that such fish as ide, chub and roach are excellently caught on the mulberry. Often, bream, carp and podust come across such a bait, and sometimes it can even interest predatory fish - asp with perch.

Some waterfowl and aquatic animals will not refuse to feast on mulberry. In addition, this aquatic inhabitant has found its application in folk medicine.

How to grow

The most suitable for the cultivation of mulberry are reservoirs with slowly flowing water, which include rivers, lakes and swamps. Moreover, such reservoirs should be located in well-lit areas.

The mulberry plant reproduces both vegetatively (by segments of stems with roots) and by seeds. This plant can be simply put into water or pre-planted in special containers. In reservoirs with stagnant water, it is often planted directly into the ground. Mulberry root very quickly and well in water. And the depth of its planting is in direct proportion to the size of the plant: it basically ranges from twenty centimeters to a meter.

In general, the mulberry is quite unpretentious and can adapt very well even to life in conditions of drying up water bodies. In a similar situation, it can form terrestrial forms. This plant grows without outside help, while requiring absolutely no care. Its growth should be monitored periodically and its spread should be limited. Also, the mulberry tree is quite frost-hardy, it is resistant to a wide variety of diseases and is practically not susceptible to pest attacks.