White Mulberry (Morus alba)
Origin: Native to China. Introduced to North America in the 1600s.
Identification: Since its introduction to North America, the white mulberry has readily hybridized with the native red mulberry (Morus rubra) which makes identification a challenge.
Female white mulberry trees can have all white berries (rare), but usually the berries are red to purple when ripe.
Leaves are usually a dark or bright green with a smooth, glossy surface and occur in three shapes: heart-shaped, mitten (single lobed) and three-lobed.
Sources and Additional Identification Information:
Purdue University Forestry & Natural Resources, Red and White Mulberry in Indiana, https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/fnr/fnr_237.pdf
Taxonomy: Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Notes: Arrival date on Serena Kovalosky’s Eco-Garden property unknown. A small grove of tree shoots emerged along the side of the house in the spring of 2022 when a portion of the backyard, which had been consistently mowed since the late 1950s, was allowed to grow wild. By the end of summer they had grown almost five feet high. As the property originally belonged to the local Champlain Silk Mills, there is speculation they may have been planted in the late 1800s to early 1900s to support sericulture efforts for the silk industry in the town.
Stories from Serena Kovalosky’s Mulberry Story-Box:
White Mulberry Discovery – The Rewards of No Mow May
White Mulberry Trees – Year 2 Explorations
The Rise and Fall of an Industry: The Champlain Silk Mills of Whitehall, NY
The White Mulberry Tree: A Brief American Entrepreneurial Dream and the Loss of a Native Species
Serena Kovalosky 