Here we go round the Mulberry bush, or in this case a tree which is the Black Mulberry (Morus nigra). Mulberries ripen in July/August and you will probably have to find a bush or tree if you want some. As soft fruits go they are very soft; too squashy to be picked for packaging although Mulberry jam is a thing. When plucked and eaten they immediately stain fingers a deep shade of red/purple.

 The Mulberry is one of those plants whose natural history is intertwined with social history. M. nigra is native to Iran but was cultivated and naturalised in the ancient world into Asia and the Mediterranean. They were planted here by the Romans it seems as pips have been found near Roman settlements. Perhaps they arrived earlier than that? Later they were planted in Mediaeval monasteries and abbeys and by the nobility.

 In 1607/8 King James I urged the nobility to plant 10,000 Black Mulberry trees to create an English silk trade to compete with the industries of Italy and France. Mulberry leaves are the one and only food source to grow silkworms but this grand scheme hit a couple of snags. For one thing silkworms prefer the White Mulberry! And England was probably too cold and damp. After all, the nursery rhyme does say: "Here we go round the Mulberry bush/on a cold and frosty morning".

 Nonetheless we are left with a scattering of Mulberries across the country, some truly archaic. The oldest -in Syon Park in West London- was planted in 1548! I haven't seen it and I think I should.