SP0494 : The Mulberry tree, Red House, Great Barr
taken 11 years ago, near to Great Barr, Sandwell, England
The Mulberry tree by the house dates from about 1605 and is believed to be the fifth oldest in the country. Until recently a steel band held it together and is well embedded in the bark.
There is a good photo of the mulberry tree, probably taken in the late 1950s here Link
Many Mulberry trees were planted in England in the early 1600s largely due to a misunderstanding. King James I decided that England needed its own silk industry to rival the success of those of France and Italy. James ordered thousands of mulberry trees on his own account, which were planted on several acres covering part of the garden of today’s Buckingham Palace, extending over Constitution Hill to the edge of Green Park. He also persuaded prominent noblemen to plant thousands more.
Unfortunately, he ordered the wrong kind of tree. Silk worms thrive on the leaves of white mulberries, but James had chosen black ones, which were ill-suited to England’s cool climate.
See Link for more history of Mulberry trees (both white and black) in the UK and where they may be found today.
Red House Park consists of a Victorian house with playing fields, woods, parkland and lakes in the Great Barr area of Sandwell.
See also Red House, Great Barr Link