Episode 96: The Mulberry

Many children around the world grow up singing the nursery rhyme, “Here we go ’round the Mulberry bush.” But what is a Mulberry bush? And have you ever even seen its tasty Mulberries in grocery stores? Turns out, this tree (not bush) is better known for something other than its fruit, and that fame has deeply pervaded world cultures whether you know it or not. Listen to find out how, but I’ll give you a hint! The Mulberry is closely related to Fig Trees, so it may or may not have something to do with a particular insect.

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Music is by Academy Garden (academygarden.bandcamp.com)
Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram
Script Editing and Social Media is by Laurie Hilburn (lhilburn.journoportfolio.com)
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Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/plant/Moraceae

https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/2021/04/01/what-is-osage-orange-and-is-it-edible/

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0233113

https://www.ahi-intl.farm/post/silkworm-farming

https://www.azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/83_folder/83_articles/83_silk.html

Ovid-Metamorphoses

https://www.cravat-club.com/blogs/news/the-history-of-silk-in-england

https://writingtoberead.com/2021/06/30/dark-origins-here-we-go-round-the-mulberry-bush/

https://www.bartramsgarden.org/the-bartrams-the-white-mulberry-tree-and-the-story-of-american-silk/

https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/red-mulberry/

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