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Mulberry

Morus alba / rubra

Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.

THE PLANT NOTEBOOK

Mulberry care, from seed onward.

Botanical name
Morus alba / rubra
Common names
Mulberry Tree
Family
Moraceae
Genus
Morus
Species
M. spp
01

Start growing

Extremely easy/weedy. Full sun. Tolerates poor soil.

02

Growing with your kit

Fast growth makes it an instant gratification project in the Seeds In A Cup® line.

03

Propagation

Seed or cuttings.

04

Seasonal growth & harvest

Fruits in early summer. Messy (stains pavement).

05

Growing conditions

Forest edges and disturbed areas.

06

Weather & tolerances

Pollution, drought, and heat tolerant.

07

Pests & plant health

Generally pest free.

08

Plant safety

Unripe fruit and milky sap are mildly toxic/hallucinogenic; ripe fruit is safe.

09

Botanical features

A fast-growing deciduous tree. Fruit looks like a long blackberry.

10

Varieties

‘Illinois Everbearing’.

11

Garden & everyday uses

Edible fruit. White Mulberry leaves are the sole food of silkworms

12

Native range & distribution

Global; Alba (China), Rubra (USA).

13

Conservation

Red Mulberry is threatened by hybridization with invasive White Mulberry.

14

Name origins

Latin ‘morus’.

15

History

King James I imported thousands to England hoping to start a silk industry (he bought the wrong species).

Grow mulberry in a cup.