Why I have Purple Feet :)

I spent a good part of yesterday up in a Mulberry tree down by Saliz Creek. A friend of mine had asked me to come take a look at her Elderberry tree, and though I was quite perplexed at the thought of Elderberries in June I went on over to check it out. Lo and behold, it wasn't an Elderberry at all, but a White Mulberry (Morus alba) tree weighed down with sweet red-purple berries. So off went the shoes and up I went. To get the best of them I had to back my truck under the tree and climb up on top to knock down the big clusters since the higher branches weren't strong enough for me to stand on.

I couldn't help but eat a few (or so) while I was working, how can one resist berry juice dripping off their fingers anyhow, but I manged to save a few quarts to take home for pie and medicine. My fingers and feet are now stained a lovely violet color....

The picture is of a less ripe but beautifully red berry. We have about half a dozen White Mulberry trees right here in the Canyon, but unlike my friend, we don't have a predatory cat to keep the Rock Doves from eating all the berries before we can get to them.

These Mulberries make an excellent blood tonic for those with signs of blood deficiency (pale tongue, weak nails, breaking hair, dizziness, anemia can be symptoms). The whole plant, from root to bark to leaf to berry is all considered strongly medicinal in Chinese medicine. I've been working with this plant frequently this Spring and I'm still in the process of getting to know her particular magic.

And this morning for breakfast, there was pudding with cream, mulberries, bananas and butter roasted pecans, mmmmmm..... and a very sore hip from hanging from the tree by my left leg while trying to reach the uppermost berries, owww.