Shidlaghatta is well-known for its mulberry leaves.No farmer allows it to grow tall. As and when the leaves grow, they are cut to feel the silk worms. As a result the fruits of the mulberry tree are rarely seen.
In contradiction to the tradition of growing dwarf mulberry trees, Shettappanavar Shankar has grown a mulberry tree in his garden which is 35 feet in height. The tree has now yielded a rich crop of mulberry fruits.
Many species of birds visit this tree to eat its fruit and has become a sanctuary for the birds. Nightingale, parrot, bulbul, maina and golden oriole among other species. The mulberry fruit also feeds the squirrels and monkeys.
Mulberry is the traditional feed for the silk worm. The leaves are highly palatable and digestible to herbivorous animals. The leaves can be used as supplements replacing concentrates for dairy cattle, as the main feed for goats, sheep and rabbits.
The fruit of the mulberry, similar to the blackberry, is an aggregate fruit that is composed of many smaller fruits called drupes. The skin is smooth and fragile, and the color changes from green to red to dark purple as it matures.
Mulberries have a stem that persists on the fruit when it is picked from the tree, distinguishing it from blackberries and raspberries.
Mulberry tea can be made by infusing the mulberry leaves in a pot of hot water for a half hour.