Persian Mulberry Tree (ShahToot) – شاه توت
Persian Mulberry tree, also known as the ShahToot, produces very delicious, dark red, wide, juicy fruit with a very pleasant sour and sweet flavor when ripe. The fruit itself turns almost into a black shade resembling a blackberry, however, the taste, texture, and the plant’s growth habits are very different. Red mulberry trees can grow large and upright. However, ShahToot grows at a slower rate than other mulberry trees. This type of tree also produces long during the summer months. ShahToot is one of the most beloved Persian fruit trees available in the United States.
It is very juicy and sweet with some sourness until it fully ripens to becoming dark red (almost black) with extremely sweet and delicious flavor. Grows to 25-30 ft. with large heart-shaped leaves and ripens in the Summer.
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General Plant Information
Persian Mulberry trees
Persian Red Mulberries are, simply put, delicious. It is no wonder that Persians refer to them as ShahToot, king of mulberries. Because of their similar shape, these small, dark red berries can be easily mistaken for blackberries. However, the similarities end there as, frankly speaking, Red Persian Mulberries are far superior taste wise to blackberries. The fruit itself, when ripe, is soft and juicy with a perfect combination of sweet and sour taste.
The tree itself not only produces a fruit that is distinctly different from other mulberry trees, but it also has different growth habits. Red Mulberry trees can grow large and upright. While the tree’s growth rate is slow, it produces fruit for an extended period of time during the Summer months. In addition, this type of tree should not be planted near buildings or pipes due to its strong root system which can be damaging.
While ShahToot has been one of the most beloved Persian fruits for centuries, and only available at Persian stores outside of Iran, in recent years non-Persians have discovered their uniqueness. In fact, nowadays during the Summer months in SouthernCalifornia, Red Persian Mulberries can be found at select farmers markets. Red Persian Mulberries are delicious when consumed fresh. In addition, they are ideal for preserves, jams, pie filling, and a to die for syrup to be enjoyed over pancakes or crepes.
The Persian Red Mulberry produces very delicious, dark red, juicy fruit with a very pleasant sour and sweet flavor when ripe. The fruit itself turns to a black shade resembling a blackberry. However, the taste, texture, and the plant’s growth habits are very different. Red Mulberry trees can grow large and upright. However, ShahToot grows at a slower rate than other mulberry trees. This type of tree also produces long during the summer months. The ShahToot is one of the most beloved Persian fruit trees available in the United States.
As one of the most beloved Iranian Mulberries, it is known as ShahToot (شاه توت). It is very juicy and sweet with some sourness until it fully ripens to becoming dark red (almost black) with extremely sweet and delicious flavor. Can grow up to 25-30 ft with large heart-shaped leaves and ripens in the Summer.
Mature Size and Form
Our deciduous fruit trees are semi-dwarf. They
In the home orchard, plant medium size deciduous trees about 12 feet apart, and trim your trees to keep them between 8 – 15 feet tall. In a commercial farm, trees are spaced 15 feet apart with 20 feet rows are machinery. These trees grow to 25 feet tall. Trees can become almost 40 feet tall in nature.
Standard deciduous trees have a single trunk and grow to with the canopy raised above the ground.
Semi-Dwarf trees grow like a bush with a canopy near the ground and no single trunk. Semi-dwarf trees are easier to harvest and can be used as a privacy hedge when planted close together.
Additional Information
Harvest Time : SummerSun Exposure : Full Sun and Part Sun
Watering : Regular
Plant Type: Deciduous
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-10
Chill Hours: Less than 200 hours below 45°F
Planting Information
Soil and Planting: Plant in soil that drains well. Dig a hole that is as deep as the tree’s roots and at least twice as wide.
Place the tree in the hole and backfill around the plant’s roots with a mixture of the native soil and high-quality planting mix that has washed sand and organic fertilizer.
Create a basin around the roots drip zone so that water collects. Water deeply until the roots and nearby soil is saturated and reaches field capacity.
Plant Care Information
How To Water - Frequency and Duration to Irrigate
Make a planting ring around the tree’s canopy to retain water to drain down from above the roots, and flood the ring 2-3 times to water it with a hose.
Quantity of Water:
Provide a planted 15-gallon size tree with 15 gallons of water to soak the root system and saturate the surrounding soil. A 5-gallon tree needs 5 gallons of water to soak, and a 25-gallon container tree needs 25 gallons of water.
Frequency to water while young: Mature require less frequent watering
Winter deciduous fruit trees do not require water while dormant.
Begin to water weekly once the tree leafs out in the early Spring.
Increase the frequency as the weather warms in the Spring to Summer.
Increase water frequency to every other day or more during Summer heat waves while the tree is young.
Reduce water to once per week in the Fall.
Discontinue watering your tree in the Winter while dormant.
Water Duration – Quantity of water: Automatic System: Run Time depends on Flow Rate.
PVC Bubbler – 5 – 7 minutes with 2 – 4 GPM Flow rate
Sprinkler – 15 – 25 minutes directed into wells
Drip System – More than 30 minutes with multiple emitters. The perforated drip is also a great choice.
Soil Type: Water quantity and frequency also depend on soil type. To saturate sandy soils, provide less water more frequently, while clay soils need more water less frequently.
Irrigation water management requires monitoring soil moisture, irrigation scheduling, and an irrigation system to uniformly and efficiently distribute water based on the evapotranspiration rate while considering salinity and drainage and the practical constraints affecting scheduling, and the Soil-plant-water relationships.
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Fertilizer and Plant Nutrition
Fruit trees and edible plants need nutrients to grow. This is called fertilizer and it comes in different forms. Use organic manure, bone meal, blood meal, and humus based fertilizers. Apply fertilizers like manure along with a bone meal, humus based phosphorus fertilizer (1-2-2) NPK ratio in the late Winter, right before spring growth. Reapply with organic high nitrogen (2-1-1) or fertilizers with a 1-1-1 NPK as directed by the label during the Spring and Summer growing season. Do not fertilize in the Fall, new growth at this time will be thin, lanky, and weak.
Winter Pruning and Summer Thinning
Prune fruit trees in the Winter to maintain size and shape to prepare for Spring growth. Thin the tree in the Summer, and remove excess fruits. Remove any dry twigs and branches. Cut off any new growth below the graft or very low in the tree, this will direct the plant’s energy to its main branches. Thin your trees during the Spring and Summer seasons to ensure the plant’s energy is directed as desired. If the plant provides an overly large quantity of fruits for that branch, reduce the quantity of fruit so that what remains grows larger. This will also prevent broken limbs. Harvest ripe fruit to prevent undesired pests.
Harvesting and Pest Management
The basics of integrated pest management is cleanliness and the use of a combination of methods. This means we use an organic pesticide when the pest population reaches a threshold that requires action. Horticultural oils such as Neem oil is an organic pesticide that controls tiny, soft bodied insects. Use organic Bordeaux and Liqui-cop to manage fungus causing diseases such as powdery mildew, rust, and leaf-curls.
Keep a clean environment, free of weeds and dropped fruit that host insects or attract animals. Harvest when fruit reaches size and store indoors. Use repellants and bird netting to protect your harvest from other animals.
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Compatibility
The two factors that determine if a deciduous fruit trees will grow well and produce fruit in a certain area are the Chill Hour Requirement and the Cold Hardiness. “Chill hours” are the amount of cold a deciduous fruit tree need to produce fruit. This is measured in the number of hours below 45 degrees Fahrenheit a plant must experience during its winter dormancy. Paradise Nursery only grows Low Chill fruit trees that meet the chill requirements of all areas of the United States.
The second factor is Cold Hardiness. Cold Hardiness refers to the minimum temperature a plant can tolerate. The USDA’s Cold Hardiness Zones indicate the average minimum winter temperatures of areas. Based on the shipping zipcode, our website will only allow you to add plants to your cart that grow within your USDA Hardiness Zone, and tolerate your climate.
Pollination & Propagation
(Grafting/Cutting) Most of Paradise Nursery’s edible plants are self-fruitful. Self-pollinating trees do not require an additional tree to produce fruit. For your convenience, we have indicated which trees require a pollinator, and their associated pollinators. Only the sweet cherries, avocados, and some plums require a pollinator. All of our other propagated edible plants do not require a pollinator. All of our edible plants are either grown from cuttings, budded, or grafted. This way, we can ensure that our plants are high quality and fruit immediately. Plants will generally begin fruiting within a year of planting.