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| ## white mulberry {#white-mulberry .Title-Header}                     |
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| *Morus alba* L.                                                       |
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| Plant Symbol = MOAL                                                   |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

### ![](media/image2.jpeg){width="2.8in" height="1.9375in"}

# Alternative Names

Chinese white mulberry, common mulberry, Russian mulberry, silkworm
mulberry, chi sang, chin sang, moral blanco

# Uses

*Ethnobotanic*: The fruits may be eaten cooked or raw and are made into
jellies, jams, pies and is added to bread, cookies, or puddings. The
fruit is also an ingredient in mulberry wine and is used as a raisin
substitute. The inner bark was roasted and grounded into a meal and then
used as a thickener in soups or mixed with cereals when making bread.
The young shoots were used as a tea substitute

*Economic*: White mulberry was introduced along the Atlantic seaboard
during colonial times when an attempt was made to establish the silkworm
industry in this country (Harrar & Harrar 1962). A fiber was obtained
from the bark and used in weaving. A brown dye can be obtained from the
trunk.

The wood is valued for sporting goods due to its durability,
flexibility, and elasticity. It is used mainly for tennis and badminton
rackets, hockey sticks, furniture, agricultural implements, and house
and boat building materials. The stem is fibrous and is used in Europe
and China for making paper.

*Medicinal*: The leaves are taken internally in the treatment of sore
throats, colds, eye infections, and nose bleeds. The stems are used in
the treatment of spasms, rheumatic pains, and high blood pressure. The
fruit is used in the treatment of urinary incontinence, dizziness,
diabetes, pre-maturing gray hair, and constipation in the elderly.

*Wildlife*: White mulberry leaves are eaten as a vegetable and are
useful as a cattle fodder. Wild birds, hogs, and poultry eat the
mulberry fruit.

*Agroforestry*: *Morus alba* is used in tree strips for windbreaks. They
are planted and managed to protect livestock, enhance production, and
control soil erosion. Windbreaks can help communities with harsh winter
conditions better handle the impact of winter storms and reduce home
heating costs during the winter months.

# Status

# Introduced into the U.S. and it is considered invasive by several sources. Please consult the Plants Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant's current status, such as, state noxious status and wetland indicator values.

##### Weediness  {#weediness .Header-3}

This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and
may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed. Please
consult with your local NRCS Field Office, Cooperative Extension Service
office, state natural resource, or state agriculture department
regarding its status and use. Weed information is also available from
the PLANTS Web site at plants.usda.gov. Please consult the Related Web
Sites on the Plant Profile for this species for further information.

# Description

*General*: Mulberry family (Moreaceae). White mulberry is an introduced,
small to medium sized shrub or tree. The leaves are alternate, simple,
serrate or dentate, ovate to broad ovate, and two to seven inches long
(Dirr 1990). The flowers are small, greenish, crowded in clusters, and
hanging in catkins. The fruit is blackberry like, typically white but
sometimes pinkish violet, insipid and so plentiful it litters lawns and
pavements (Taylor 1965). The bark is light brown to gray and smooth,
becoming divided into narrow scaly ridges.

*Distribution*: *Morus alba* is a Chinese tree, cultivated throughout
the world wherever silkworms are raised. It is occasionally cultivated
in Japan, Europe, North America, and Africa. In Michigan, white mulberry
is frequent in urban environments in the southern half of the Lower
Peninsula, occasionally in the northern half of the Lower Peninsula and
the Upper Peninsula (Barnes & Wagner 1981). This species is naturalized
in the urban environment and rare in disturbed forest communities
(Ibid.). For current distribution, please consult the Plant profile page
for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

# Adaptation 

White mulberry grows well on a wide variety of soils. It prefers a warm,
moist, well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position. It withstands
drought once well established. *Morus alba* is quite salt tolerant. This
species is also fairly wind-resistant.

# Establishment

*Propagation from Seed*: Sow the seeds as soon as they are ripe in a
cold frame. Germination of fresh seed may vary because some seed will
contain dormant embryos and impermeable seed coats (Dirr & Heuser 1987).
Germination is improved by cold stratification at 33 to 41ºF for one to
three months (Ibid.). After germination, the seeds require half shade
for a few weeks.

*Propagation from Cuttings*: Cutting are taken from bushes at pruning
time. The branches are cut twenty-two to thirty centimeters long with
three buds and planted immediately. June and July are optimum months for
rooting (Dirr & Heuser). The cuttings are buried in soil about six to
nine centimeters deep and watered frequently. After about a month when
the buds have shoots, they are taken out and planted. Mid July cuttings
with bases are dipped in 8000 ppm IBA-talc and sand, that roots in three
weeks with heavy root systems (Ibid).

# Management

Mulberries have brittle roots and need to be handled with care when
being planted. Pruning should be done in the winter when the plant is
fully dormant. Only badly placed branches or dead wood should be removed
during pruning. Mulberries are bleeders and should not be cut when the
sap is flowing.

Different mulberry trees vary in fruit production. Sericulture is the
most important commercial use for white mulberry. Young, fully developed
leaves are best for feeding silkworm larvae. White mulberry can become
weed trees as fruits are distributed by birds and other wildlife (Dirr
1997).

##### Control  {#control .Header-3}

Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist or county
weed specialist to learn what works best in your area and how to use it
safely. Always read label and safety instructions for each control
method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to
provide specific information. USDA NRCS does not guarantee or warranty
the products and control methods named, and other products may be
equally effective.

# Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

'Charparral', 'Pendula', 'Teas', 'Bellaire', and 'Lingan' are some of
the cultivars of *Morus alba*. 'Charparral' is fruitless, with a weeping
form, reaching a height of twelve feet. 'Pendula' has a slender weeping
form, reaching a height and spread of twenty feet. 'Teas' is grown for
its edible fruit. 'Bellaire' has a distinctive form and multiple trunk
(Dirr 1990), 'Lingan' is a type with leathery, lustrous foliage. It is
fruitless, fast growing, and drought resistant (Ibid.).

Consult your local nurseries to choose the right cultivar for your
specific landscape.

# References

Brown, C.L. & L.K. Kirkman 1990. Trees of Georgia and adjacent states.
Timber Press, Portalnd, Oregon.

Britton, N.L. 1908. *North American trees*. Henry Holt & Company, New
York.

Bruggen, T.V. 1976. *The vascular plants of South Dakota*. The Iowa
State University Press, Ames, Iowa.

Dirr, M.A. 1990. *Manual of woody landscape plants: their
identification, ornamental characteristics, culture, propagation, and
uses*. 4^th^ ed. Stipes Publishing Co., Champaigne, Illinois.

Dirr, M.A. 1997 *Dirr's hardy trees and shrubs: an illustrated
encyclopedia*. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.

Dirr, M.A. & C.W. Heuser, Jr. 1987. *The reference manual of woody plant
propagation: from seed to tissue culture*. Varsity Press, Athens,
Georgia.

Epple, A.O. 1995. *A field guide to the plants of Arizona*. Falcon
Press, Helena, Montana.

Facciola, S. 1990. *Cornucopia-a source book of edible plants*. Kampong
Publications.

Farrar, J.L. 1995. *Trees of the northern United States and Canada*.
Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa.

Great Plains Flora Association 1986. *Flora of the great plains*.
University press of Kansas, Lawerence, Kansas.

Harrar, E.S. & J.G. Harrar 1962. *Guide to southern trees*. 2^nd^ ed.
Dover Publications, Inc., New York, New York.

Hunter, C.J. 1989. *Trees, shrubs, and vines of Arkansas*. The Ozark
Society Foundation, Little Rock, Arkansas.

McMinn, H.E. & E. Maino 1963. *An illustrated manual of Pacific Coast
trees*. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.

Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, & C.R. Bell 1968. Manual of the vascular
flora of the Carolinas. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel
Hill, North Carolina.

Sargent, C.S. 1961. *Manual of the trees of North America*. Vol. 1.
Dover Publications, Inc., New York, New York.

Strausbaugh, P.D. & E.L. Core 1971. *Flora of West Virginia*. 2^nd^ ed.
Seneca Books, Inc., Morgantown, West Virginia.

Taylor, N. 1965. *The guide to garden shrubs and trees*. Houghton
Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts.

University of Wisconsin 2002. *Morus alba*. Department of Botany,
Madison, Wisconsin. Accessed: 11jan02.
\<http://www.wisc.edu/botit/img/bot/130/Plant%20Morphology/130%20Required%20Terms/Leaf%20Structure/Lobed/\>

# Prepared By

#### *Lincoln M. Moore*

USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center

# Baton Rouge, Louisiana

# Species Coordinator

*Lincoln M. Moore*

USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Edited: 10jan02 jsp; 24feb03 ahv; 060802 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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