Mulberry collection at Vila Pohorski dvor is grown in three parts. First part contains old mulberry varieties brought from Sericulture Institut in Padova, Italia. Varieties were grown exclusively for leaves (fodder for silkworms). Characteristics of these varieties are large leaves, fast growth, big amount of leaf biomass. Trees are only 70-90 cm large. For sericulture branches are cut every second year. In sericulture most common varieties are Morettiana (origins from India) and Kokuso (origins from Japan), as well as Florio.
Collection of old Slovenian and Hungarian genotypes as well as Italian moricultural varieties. Photo: Polona Sušnik.
Second part is collection of old local Hungarian and Slovenian mulberry varieties. During the sampling excursions material of old local varieties is taken for the preparation of cuttings. Rooting of cuttings takes place in nursery, however cuttings are planted in the collection when they reach about 70 cm height. At the moment there is 100 young trees of local genotypes and common sericultural varieties in our collection.
Collection of fruit mulberry trees. Photo: Polona Sušnik.
Third part of collection contains mulberry varieties for fruit production. At the moment we have 16 fruit trees. Fruit trees grow large, dark fruits, they are mostly crossbreeds between white and red mulberries from Romania and Bulgaria. In the collection there also two black mulberry trees: one from Austria and the other from Albania, from the village Boboshtice. The village is surrounded by plantation of about 400 black mulberry trees and it is believed that the trees are 1000 years old (but probably “only” between 400-500 years). From fruits they produce strong spirit drink which is filtered throught mulberry leaves and that is why it looks a bit greenish.