Morus alba

Morus alba L.

Common Names: Mulberry, Silk Worm Mulberry, White Mulberry

Family: Moraceae

Habit: Morus alba grows as a large tree to 15 m in height and to 25 cm in width. The leaves are arranged alternately to 10 cm in length, ovate with an dentate/crenate and often partially lobed margin, an acuminate leaf apex. Slightly pubescent on the abaxial veins.  New vegetation has a milky latex.

Morus alba is monecious (occasionally dioecious). The highly reduced incomplete, imperfect, actinomorphic, flowers are arranged in a catkin. There is no calyx. The corolla has 2-4 fleshy petals fused at their base. Staminate flowers have a single stamen and no carpel. Pistillate flowers have no stamens and a single carpel.  The fleshy perianth enlarges and the entire inflorescence forms an elongate compound fruit. The fruit can be red/purple or white.

Habitat: Morus alba grows in Human Altered environments (yards, gardens, farms)

Distribution: Morus alba is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago.  It is native to China and the Indian subcontinent.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Morus alba is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.

It is grown as a fruit tree and it the leaves are a food source for Silk Worms.  The leaves can be used for tea.

It is considered an INVASIVE species in North America.