Okay, I hate to post another contender for the most bizarre mm question...

But does anyone know where there might be a mulberry tree (morera) in Madrid? We adopted some (very hungry) silk worms and they like eat mulberry leaves. I know I've seen the trees before somewhere here in the Centro, but now that I am looking I can't find one anywhere.

I've got a lead that there are some in the Al Campo parking lot in Vallecas, but I'd really like to avoid going all the way out there...

And, yes, at this point I'm thinking that we really should just get a cat.


P.S. We have about 100 tiny aquatic snails that we can offer in exchange for the info.

hey mariposita.

i agree, you should move on to larger (and less slimy) pets

ok, can you buy a mulbery tree at that flower&plant shop right next to the plaza de la cebada and just about in front of your house?

saludos,
jer...

No luck at the plant store. It's kind of a nuisance tree. Nobody likes them, because they drop the little berries all over the sidewalk. But they grow all over the place. Except in all of the places where I have looked the past three days.

What can I say, we just really wanted to get pets that would turn into a bunch of capullos.

I don't think your weird at all, but then I've adopted a lavender plant. I'm not even a plant person, but I love my little plant. It's such a pretty burst of green in our living room. If I could of I'd have a cat or dog instead, but its a lot easier to find a home for a plant when you move on then it is for a real pet.

How surprising that no one likes mulberry trees. The fruit is so yummy! I have no advice to offer, but good luck.

Out of curiosity (and slightly off topic sorry), what is the fruit that the bear is eating on the symbol of madrid? Everyone says its a strawberry, but strawberrys don't grow on trees.

Hi Nanny, the tree is a "Madroño". The word in -English? No idea, but the latin term for this tree is Arbutus unedo, in case it helps.
María

I know there's another big plant place right next door to La Riviera, the concert joint right by the river and the Puente de Segovia. Don't know if they'll have mulberry plants though. Is there anything else that those worms eat? And by the way, there are many other ways of getting capullos in Spain, I know a few, if you're interested, might have even dated some, didn't know they liked mulberry leaves though, go figure!
Ok, ok, that was too easy, and you did set yourself up for that one.
(For those of you whose Spanish is not quite up to par, the word capullo besides meaning a flower bud or a cocoon, is also used to refer to a certain part of the male anatomy and is often used as an insult)
But you really need to get a cat as a pet, it will eat the snails and the worms and you'll save some money on cat food. Then you can teach Oscar all about recycling and the circle of life!
More useless info for The Nanny: the madroño is the official tree of the Comunidad de Madrid because it's a plant that grew here originally, just like them brown bears who ate the little berries. And I do know a bear or two in Madrid today but I have not dated any of them! I kill me!!!
They say the madroño fruit is not very tasty at all but they do make drinks and jam with it. If you hit Sol at the right time of the year you can see the fruit too, yes, all those little trees in front of the bear statue ARE indeed madroños.
I love lavender plants too, the best thing is how they smell. It grows well here in Spain, you can often see it and smell it on parks and public places.

quote:

by the way, there are many other ways of getting capullos in Spain, I know a few, if you're interested, might have even dated some,

saludos,
jer...

Bears, capullos and madroños, oh my! Thanks for the offer, Lena. Very generous. As far as I know, once they have changed into capullos, they don't need to eat the mulberry leaves anymore. You obviously met your capullos at that stage in their "circle of life."

Nanny--there are also some madroño trees in the little walled garden at the bottom of Plaza de la Paja (also pomegranates, almonds, persimmons, and bay laurels). It's a lovely spot--just no mulberries. And there is a bar not far from there--off c/Segovia that serves the liqueur.

Looks like I'm going to Vallecas...

Oh how my knowledge of the spanish language is growning! So lena, could that be the literal translation of the word dickhead then!!

quote:

my knowledge of the spanish language is growning!

Oh madsue, I am so glad I could contribute to your learning process! This is the kind of professional satisfaction that only teachers can understand (Need that graemlin with the halo here again).
Yes, as you so delicately put it, capullo is a literal translation for dickhead.

Hi Mariposita,

You planning a trip to IKEA anytime soon?

Between Parque del Oeste Metro station and IKEA is a small park with a paved footpath running through it. There are loads of mulberry trees in this park, many of them with branches low enough to reach.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Steve

Yes--THAT'S where I remember seeing the mulberry trees. Thanks Steve.

P.S. Some of the worms do eat lettuce. Some decided not to and perished (circle of life!). But as of today we have 12 happy little capullos snug as bugs in a rug and about 12 big fat gusanitos who keep munching and munching as if they don't ever care about metamorphosizing.

Mariposita, did you find mulberry trees anywhere closer to the center of Madrid? I'm acquiring some sillkworms that will be hungy and I'm hoping I can do their grocery shopping a little closer than having to go all the way to Parque Oeste. I'm getting them tomorrow from one of my colleagues so I sorta need this info soon. I think they're a little gross but fascinating at the same time and it'll be great for Stefan 's kids to see. Thanks.
Lena

Oh, yes, I saw moreras all over the place after that... but where? Let me get my brain working on it, I'll get back to you before your little guys starve to death.

Would appreciate it, I'll be on the look out for that as well now. By the way, how did that experience turn out? Did Oscar like the worms? Did you follow through until they were moths and they mated and got new eggs and worms or did you toss it all out after the moths died?