Mulberry tree

[White Oak]

How do mulberry trees rate as a food source to hunt around for deer ?. My local Walmart has several Chestnut Hill mulberry trees , and I'm thinking pretty soon they will be marking them down in price. Quite frankly I have never seen a mulberry tree and know nothing about them.

 

[Catscratch]

I like mulberry for deer food. I've never witnessed deer eating the fruit but the leaves are loved (they are in the same family as Osage Orange). I sometimes stumpcut them make food available at deer level. Mature trees become a food source as they drop leaves in the fall (same as OO). They vacuum them up! With that said I would not consider them a major food source, just something they like during a short period of the year. If you have catfish a tree can be planted so that it hangs over the water. Fruit drop makes for GREAT fishing!

 

[Rit]

They pound the fruit and leaves. The issue with the fruit is that it drops in the summer.

 

[Catscratch]

Here is some info that includes Osage Orange. Gives crude protein, palatibility, total nutrition, the time of year protein and nutrition is needed, and a bunch of other stuff. Mulberry isn't on it, but Osage Orange is and I've found they are very similar due to being in the same Moraceae family. Good read if you are evaluating natives!
https://www.noble.org/globalassets/docs/ag/pubs/wildlife/nf-wf-04-02.pdf

 

[Charles Clear]

Mulberries seem to thrive in the heavier wetter soils at my place. I rarely cut them down, because I know the birds love them. I haven't seen or paid attention to deer usage though. I figure why get rid of a natural food source for wildlife. I agree 100% with Catscratch on Osage Orange though too. Where there are Osage Orange, there are deer.

 

[Catscratch]

If you do happen to look at the link I posted pay close attention to the table on page 9. Osage Orange scores very well in Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN - phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) for most of the year. It's a great way to deliver minerals through vegetative food and not mineral licks! It's also very high in crude protein during the months that antlers are growing fastest and lactation needs are highest. Osage Orange also tested high as an important deer food in all 4 seasons. OO and mulberry are good to have around if they will grow for you.

 

[TreeDaddy]

the fruit doesn't last long on my mulberry trees.......incredibly sweet!!!!

bill

 

[willy]

everything eats the berries and the deer keep most of them on my farm bush size. They seek them out. If cheap enough I'd buy them, protect them, and then in a few years the birds will be planting more for you(if they are hardy for your area). I'm surprised you don't have them around already.

 

[j-bird]

I have the invasive white mulberry. I have more of them than deer by a long shot as they are pretty robust once established. I doubt the trees you are seeing for sale are the same variety....but it's hard to say. Here, the birds eat the berries and the deer browse the young growth.....I have some that have trunks the size of your leg and others are just bushes. You want white mulberry? Bring a shovel and a pick-up and you can have as many as you want to dig up! Or come when the fruit is ready and pick them like blackberries!!

I can certainly see where if you don't have them already where the proper kind (ever bearing or red) would be a nice habitat addition.