What’s this? It’s a black mulberry tree or, if you are an arborist, a Morus nigra.
You wouldn’t confuse it with a blackberry would you? Of course not but Wikipedia, catering for the Lowest Common Denominator, thinks you might. It looks to me quite old. But …
“The Bethnal Green mulberry tree is an ancient black mulberry tree, in the grounds of the former London Chest Hospital, at Bethnal Green in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Many British mulberry trees have associations with famous people, and while evidence sometimes survives to confirm these associations, this is not always the case. The Bethnal Green mulberry is the subject of an unconfirmed tradition linking it to the ill-famed Bishop Bonner – known as Bloody Bonner.
The exact age of the tree is unknown but is thought to be at least 200 years old and may be over 400 years old making it the oldest tree in the East End. If the Bishop Bonner tradition is correct it may be around 500 years old and the oldest black mulberry in the United Kingdom.“ (Wikipedia)
As is so often the case, Wiki may be inaccurate. These trees were planted in England by the Romans, although Boudicca and her tribe preferred istatis tinctori to go blue.
Our monarch was mocked for his views on almost everything. It turns out he was right about almost everything to do with climate, environment, etc. Not all our monarchs were so wise. James I asked “the nobility” to plant 10,000 black mulberry trees to kick start a silk industry, hitherto dominated by France and Italy. It explains why there are so many of these trees tottering about in places like The Charterhouse. His edict, apparently, wasn’t taken on board at Barmeath. They are not the preferred diet of silk worms. J One should have commanded white mulberry trees.
This is a digression, but such a long one I have forgotten what I was going to write about. But I do remember a post from almost eight years ago with some mulberry content – Daughters of Mulberry; tipping a favourite. Now, turn up the volume for Tina.