Mulberries or other bushes indoors? (piefed.blahaj.zone)

submitted 5 days ago by cloudforms@piefed.blahaj.zone to c/houseplants@mander.xyz

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Running into mixed messages while reading about whether mulberries can be grown indoors or not. Does anyone know if they require their cold periods to live and function, or will they be healthy but simply not make fruit? I'd love to grow a berry bush or a similar sized ornamental shrub inside, but I do not have access to an outdoor space to give it chilling time. Has anyone done this before?

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[-] Pencilnoob@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago

mulberries do require chilling hours. If you check out this site your might find something that fits.

https://www.foodforestnursery.com/shop/berries/by-climate-zone-berries/berries-for-zone-10/

A dwarf blueberry might be fine in a container, or a dwarf citrus tree like lemon or orange. Or a fig that doesn't require chilling hours

[-] cloudforms@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 days ago

I decided to get a norfolk pine. Not quite a berry bush or a flowering shrub, but still a little tree known to be happy indoors that gets decently big and looks a little bit like the outdoor plants in my region. :).

[-] blackbrook@mander.xyz 4 points 5 days ago

Just gonna toss out holly and elderberry for consideration. Would need to hand pollinate the holly for berries (maybe the elderberry too).

[-] cloudforms@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 5 days ago

It looks like those (and unfortunately most of the common indoor fruits) are incompatible with pets. Appreciate the suggestion though

[-] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 2 points 4 days ago

You could join me in my experimental jabuticaba bonsai endeavor. Mine is growing well, but no signs of flowering yet.

[-] cloudforms@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 4 days ago

Those trees are wild looking. Hadn't heard of those before. I hope it blooms for you! Any idea whether or not they're toxic to pets?

[-] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 2 points 4 days ago

The fruit is not toxic to dogs, but the peel and seeds are not digestible, so if it's a small dog eating a significant amount, it could cause gastric distress up to intestinal blockage. I couldn't find info on leaves, or cats. Birds will regularly nibble on them.

It's worth noting that eating a lot of the pulp will make it harder for you to poop, just like guava or certain cheeses.

[-] cloudforms@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Good to know. That is one of the most interesting looking trees i've seen in a while. I hope you post updates about it.

[-] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 3 points 4 days ago

As soon as I see buds. It's grown to over 1.5 times the size from when I got it, so at least there's that.

[-] dgdft@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

They’ll grow assuming you get a suitable variety, just not fruit much if at all.

The issue here is comparative advantage: the #1 factor in the plant growing well is going to be your lighting. Unless your residence is a houseplant paradise, good lighting is probably a limited resource you could put to better use with a more traditional indoor plant.

this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2025

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