How to Prune a Non-Berry Mulberry Tree

The most common fruitless mulberry trees are male white mulberry trees (Morus alba). Depending on the variety, they are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 or 6 to 11. They are very adaptable and somewhat drought-tolerant. New white mulberries should be staked because they develop dense, round canopies rather quickly, and strong wind can cause the trunks to snap. The dense canopy tends to shade out branches at the center of each tree if it is not thinned. A white mulberry also produces many watersprouts and suckers. Remove dead branches any time, prune suckers and waterspouts in late summer, and do all other major pruning while the tree is dormant. Suckers are sprouts from the tree's roots, and watersprouts are vigorous upright growths from branches.


Remove all dead and dying branches. Cut one of any two branches that are crossed and rubbing against each other.


Develop or maintain a dominant leader by cutting back or removing branches that are taller than the central leader. The central leader is the tree's main, centered trunk. Cut these branches at a lateral branch that faces away from the center of the tree.


Identify the lowest branches in the permanent canopy. Choose branches that are 6 feet from the ground if people will walk under the tree and 8 feet from the ground if vehicles will be driven under the tree. Cut branches off the lower one-third of the trunk each year until you reach the lowest permanent branches.


Space main branches along the trunk at least 18 inches apart and growing in all directions. Prune out growth between the selected main branches before they reach one-third the diameter of the trunk.


Remove about 5 to 10 percent of the 1- to 3-inch diameter branches to thin the canopy. Thin branches evenly throughout the upper two-thirds of the tree. Avoid removing all the interior branches or overthinning. Make cuts just outside the branch bark collar, which is the slight swelling at the branch's base.


Remove suckers and watersprouts in midsummer. Make cuts as close to the affected branch or root as possible. Dig to expose the base of suckers.