The Mulberry trees (Morus nigra) along Houston's Buffalo Bayou are producing their delicious fruit. The picture above is an immature berry--this particular tree produces a dark purple berry when ready to eat. Some sources on the internets, as well as Delena Tull's excellent book Edible and Useful Plants of Texas and the Southwest warn against consuming the unripe fruit, claiming that doing so produces an unpleasant, mildly psychedelic experience. Apparently you throw up, fall on the ground and become convinced you're going to croak. We wonder if this is a myth, like the story about boy scouts roasting hot dogs on Oleander sticks (yes, Oleander is very poisonous, but apparently the boy scout story is an urban legend).We found the Mulberries sweet and delicious. It's a fruit that doesn't ship well, hence its absence in our crummy supermarkets.
