Illinois Everbearing Mulberry (Morus alba × Morus rubra) is widely considered one of the best mulberries for home orchards, especially in the eastern U.S. It is a hybrid between white and native red mulberry and is prized for its exceptional fruit quality and long harvest season.

Why it's so popular

• Fruit quality: Large (about 1–1¼ inches), sweet, blackberry-like fruit with excellent flavor.

• Long harvest: Rather than ripening all at once, it produces fruit continuously for 2–3 months, often from June into August or September depending on location.

• Early bearing: Trees may produce fruit in their first or second year after planting.

• Self-fertile: Only one tree is needed for fruit production.

• Fast growth: Can grow 3–5 feet per year when young.