Mulberry Tree Roots Damaging Driveway and Landscaping

A fruitless mulberry (24-inch trunk diameter, 10 feet from a mobile home) is suspected of cracking a driveway and toppling brickwork 20 feet away. The owner asks if the roots are responsible and how to stop them.

Root Spread and Damage Potential

Mature mulberry roots extend 1.5 times the branch spread (20–30 feet). Roots can lift and crack pavement and disturb shallow landscaping.

Solution: Root Barrier

1. Trench along the driveway to 18 inches deep.
2. Cut roots cleanly.
3. Install a commercial root barrier (e.g., DeepRoot) vertically in the trench.
4. Backfill and compact.

This redirects root growth away from hardscapes.