Scientific name: Morus alba
Common name: white mulberry
Native: No
Native range: Native to China, but was introduced to North America in the 1600's with the intent of cultivating it for silk production. It has since spread across much of North America, including the United States and Canada [1,2].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for M. alba.
USDA Zones: 4-8 [4]
Maximum age: May live as long as 150 years [2].
Ecology: The fruit provides forage for birds, raccoons, foxes, opposums, and other mammals, while the foliage provides shelter and nesting habitat for birds [1,2].
Ethnobotany: White mulberry fruit is enjoyed by many - eaten raw, in jams, or as an ingredient in wine [1]. Tea can be made from the young leaves, while the inner bark is used as a thickener in soups and as an additive to flour [1,2]. Indigenous American groups, particularly the Cherokee, use white mulberry for a variety of medicinal purposes, in addition to its use as a food [2,3].
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