The Gunnersbury Park Black Mulberry

This mulberry fell over and kept growing. At some date nobody recorded, the twin-stemmed tree below the terrace of Gunnersbury's Large Mansion keeled over. It now lies in a V shape, sending branches straight up to build a new, squat crown. Before it went down it stood about 11 metres tall, according to Morus Londinium, the London mulberry survey, which records a largest girth of 184 centimetres and classes the tree as Notable and recumbent. Peter Coles of Morus Londinium found it on a visit in April 2024, tucked away near the foot of the steps that climb through an arch to the terrace, and reported it thriving. Its neighbour dwarfs it: a cedar of Lebanon over 200 years old. A young upright mulberry a few metres away seems to have died, so do not mistake that one for it. The age is a single source's judgement: probably 19th century. The same writer suggests the Rothschilds planted it, which is an inference rather than a record; the family bought Gunnersbury in 1835. Somewhere between 150 and 220 years is as close as anyone can say. The pin is the survey's grid reference, which lands near the steps rather than on the trunk, so let the cedar and the fallen V guide you. Black mulberries fruit in high summer, dark berries that stain whatever lies beneath. The park is free and open daily from 7am until dusk, about ten minutes on foot from Acton Town station.