Mulberry trees (Morus) produce fruits that can resemble blackberries; each fruit has tiny, compacted spheres holding sweet juices. Growing up to 60 feet high in U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zones 4 through 8, these trees offer large leaves for a shady yard. Depending on the mulberry cultivar, fruits can ripen at different times of the year. Quite often, you must touch the fruit to determine if it is ripe.

Red Mulberries Late spring is normally the time for ripened red mulberries. However, you cannot just simply pluck the mulberry from the tree once you see a red color. Contrary to its name, you must wait to pick the berry until the fruit has a black overall hue with only slight red tones. Eat a pure red mulberry and you'll be left with a sour taste and barely any juices. Once plucked from the tree, you should cook or eat the fruits quickly since their shelf life is extremely short.

White Mulberries Practically transparent, white mulberries are distinctly different from their other cultivar relations since you can see their tiny seeds within each fruit sphere. Typically ready to eat in late spring, the white mulberry should have a milky appearance to each sphere before picking. Touching the white mulberry is the best indicator of ripeness. By gently pressing on the fruit, the skin should yield slightly and have a sticky feeling on the fingers. Any hard fruits should remain on the tree for future picking.

Black Mulberries Unlike the other mulberry cultivars, black mulberries ripen in the late summer. Their color is a main indicator of their ripeness. Changing from black to deep purple, you should wait until the fruit's purple color has hints of red before picking it from the tree. The mulberry's skin should not feel hard to the touch either; it should be relatively soft with hidden juices inside.

Pink Mulberries Since the mulberry family uses wind pollination as its main reproductive strategy, red and white mulberries have combined into creating the hybrid pink mulberry tree. Ripening in late spring, you should also check the fruit's color before picking. A light pink color denotes an unripened fruit, but once the mulberry turns deep red, it is ready for picking. Yielding slightly with the press of your fingers, the fruit should feel damp and sticky at the peak of ripeness.