Does anyone know where in Italy mulberry trees can or do grow? I am writing a novel set, in part, during world war one and one of the characters tries to keep silkworms in the trenches. Could mulberry trees grow anywhere around the Asiago Plateau? Or around the Isonzo or the Piave? Or anywhere else in the north where there was fighting?

Thank you so much for any help you can give me.

Does anyone know where in Italy mulberry trees can or do grow? I am writing a novel set, in part, during world war one and one of the characters tries to keep silkworms in the trenches. Could mulberry trees grow anywhere around the Asiago Plateau? Or around the Isonzo or the Piave? Or anywhere else in the north where there was fighting?

Thank you so much for any help you can give me.

Hi Suzanne

You can find them - known as Gelso bianco or Gelso nero (Morus) - in the parks around Monza and Brianza. In particular, they are to be found in Bosco della Casinetta and Parco del Molgora http://www.parcomolgora.it/

Hope this helps

The area around Lago di Como once had a thriving silk industry up until a few decades ago I belive. I think there still might be mulberry trees in the area.

As far as the trenches, I always thought most of the Italian front was up in the mountains...

Thanks for the info about the silk industry around Lake Como - although i would still like to know about more where else they can grow. My character doesn't need a lot of trees, just one or two.

And yes you are right a lot of the fighting was in the mountains but even in the mountains they dug in wherever they could. In some places they chiselled trenches into the solid rock. And as far as i know there were trenches along the Grappa/Piave front and the Isonzo as well, before they retreated to the Piave. Believe me i am no expert, and the Italian/Austrian lines are certainly not the most written about in the history books, but i have seen enough references to trenches that i am willing to put a character in one (for now at least).

And i know this is completely off topic here in the garden section but if anyone has anything to add then please go ahead.

Thank you CJ as well. Do you know if there is any reason why they wouldn't grow farther west? Around, say, Vicenza? Is it a soil/climate issue or is just a matter of mulberry trees never havin been planted around there?