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White mulberry

Morus alba

Summary 7

Morus alba, known as white mulberry, is a fast-growing tree that grows 33-66 feet tall. It is native to China and India but is widely cultivated in the United States.

Botanical Information 8

Morus alba, or commonly known as white mulberry, can be a shrub or medium-sized tree that grows rapidly. Its foliage can be quite dense and has a rounded top. It can grow up to 12 m high and 1.8 m in girth. It's bark is thin and a light grey-brown color. The leaves are alternate and simple, 6-10 cm long and 3-6 cm wide, the margins can vary from finely serrated to lobed. The fruit of this plant is edible and it is about the same size as a blackberry but can be a deep purple, red, pink, or white. The name of the tree originates from its fruit.

Ecological Information 8

Morus alba originates from China. It was introduced to North America, where it is considered invasive. This plant can grown in hot summers and in mild winters. It can be grown in elevations up to 5,000 feet above see level. It can be found growing wild throughout the Albuquerque Bosque. Wildlife will eat its berries as well as leaves. Animals that eat this plant are birds, hogs, and cattle.

Ethnobotanical Information 8

The mulberry tree has many uses ranging from edible, medicinal to even a source of paper. The fruit of the white mulberry can be eaten cooked or raw. You can bake with the mulberry. Berries are edible and delicious. You can make jams and pies with it as well as add them to your bread, cookies, or puddings. It can be used as a raisin substitute. In Chinese medicine, the twigs, berries, and root bark have been used to clear the liver and relieve coughs, eye irritations, and headaches. The larvae of the Bombyx mori moth, which produce silk, rely on mulberry leaves as their only source of food. The trunk can be used for making paper. In fact, the inner bark combined with bamboo fibers was the first source of paper. Different dyes can be made from the bark as well.

References 9

The University of Kansas. Cultural guide to the plants. (2021-07-11). https://asianbotanical.ku.edu/mulberry-0

Bosque Field Guide
Cartron, Lightfoot, Mygatt, Brantley, Lowrey. (2008). A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque. (p. 90). New Mexico, University of New Mexico Press.

About the Author 10

Student author*: Zahra Sahyoun (age 8) from Chinook Spirit Children’s Academy and CJ (age 16) from Menaul School

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) cjt11, all rights reserved
  2. (c) Fluffymuppet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/fluffymuppet/4909343827/
  3. (c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/29578562685/
  4. (c) Scamperdale, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/36517976@N06/3418157309/
  5. (c) chinookspirit, all rights reserved
  6. (c) Reinaldo Aguilar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/plantaspinunsulaosa/14978302972/
  7. Adapted by caseynm from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morus_rubra
  8. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) cjt11, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  9. Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  10. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

Range Map

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iNat Map

Berry pink, purple, white
Type tree
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