Editing Morus (plant)

{{Short description|Genus of plants}}
{{Redirect|Mulberry|other plants called mulberry|List of plants known as mulberry|other uses|Mulberry (disambiguation)}}
{{For|the bird genus|Gannet}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Morus'' (plant)}}
{{Automatic_taxobox
| name = Mulberry
| image = Morus alba FrJPG.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Morus nigra]]''
| taxon = Morus
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text.
}}

'''''Morus''''', a [[genus]] of flowering plants in the family [[Moraceae]], consists of 19 species of [[deciduous]] trees commonly known as '''mulberries''', growing wild and under cultivation in many [[temperate]] world regions.<ref name="suttie">{{Cite web |last=J.M. Suttie |date=2002 |title=''Morus alba'' L. |url=http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Gbase/data/pf000542.htm |access-date=8 March 2020 |publisher=United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization |archive-date=24 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024112337/http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Gbase/data/pf000542.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{r|cabi|duke}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chan |first=Eric Wei Chiang |date=2024 |title=An overview on clinical studies of Morus species with bioactivities of compounds providing supporting evidence |journal=Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science |volume=14 |issue=7 |pages=014–021 |language=en |doi=10.7324/JAPS.2024.184245 |issn=2231-3354 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Generally, the genus has 64 subordinate taxa,<ref name="WFO">{{Cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2022 |title=''Morus'' L. |url=http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000024882 |access-date=7 August 2022 |website=World Flora Online |publisher=World Flora Online Consortium}}</ref> though the three most common are referred to as white, red, and black, originating from the color of their dormant buds and not necessarily the fruit color (''[[Morus alba]]'', ''[[Morus rubra|M.&nbsp;rubra]]'', and ''[[Morus nigra|M.&nbsp;nigra]]'', respectively), with numerous [[cultivar]]s and some taxa currently unchecked and awaiting taxonomic scrutiny.{{r|crfg|WFO}} ''M.&nbsp;alba'' is native to [[South Asia]], but is widely distributed across [[Europe]], [[Southern Africa]], [[South America]], and [[North America]].{{r|cabi}} ''M.&nbsp;alba'' is also the species most preferred by the [[Bombyx mori|silkworm]]. It is regarded as an [[invasive species]] in Brazil, the United States and some states of Australia.{{r|cabi|qld}}

The closely related genus ''[[Broussonetia]]'' is also commonly known as mulberry, notably the [[paper mulberry]] (''Broussonetia papyrifera'').<ref name="fna">{{eFloras|1|200006341|Broussonetia papyrifera |family=Moraceae |first=Richard P. |last=Wunderlin}}</ref>

Despite their similar appearance, mulberries are not closely related to [[raspberries]] or [[blackberries]]. All three species belong to the [[Rosales]] order. But while the mulberry is a tree belonging to the [[Moraceae]] family (also including the [[Common fig|fig]], [[jackfruit]], and other fruits), raspberries and blackberries are [[brambles]] and belong to the [[Rosaceae]] family.<ref name = "POWO">{{cite web |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30000199-2 |title=''Rubus'' L. |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |date=2021 |accessdate=3 September 2024 |archive-date=31 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331005745/https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30000199-2 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Description==
Mulberries are fast-growing when young, and can grow to {{Convert|24|m|abbr=off}} tall.{{r|cabi|crfg}} The [[leaves]] are alternately arranged, simple, and often lobed and serrated on the margin. Lobes are more common on juvenile shoots than on mature trees.{{r|cabi|crfg}} The trees can be [[monoecious]] or [[dioecious]].<ref name="crfg">{{Cite web |date=1997 |title=Mulberry |url=https://crfg.org/wiki/fruit/mulberry/ |access-date=8 March 2020 |publisher=California Rare Fruit Growers |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131171709/https://crfg.org/wiki/fruit/mulberry/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The mulberry fruit is a [[multiple fruit|multiple]], about {{Convert|2-3|cm|abbr=off|frac=4}} long.{{r|cabi|crfg}} Immature fruits are white, green, or pale yellow.{{r|crfg}} The fruit turns from pink to red while ripening, then dark purple or black, and has a sweet flavor when fully ripe.{{r|cabi|crfg}}

{{gallery|mode=packed
|(MHNT) Morus alba - immatures inflorescences and flowers.jpg|Clusters ([[inflorescences]]) of unopened male flower buds
|Black Mulberry Female Flowers.jpg|Female [[catkin]]s
|Mulberry Flower Clusters.jpg|Young mulberry fruit clusters
|Immature mulberry fruit.jpg|Immature fruit
|Unripe white mulberry.jpg|Unripe white mulberries
|Wild mulberry.jpg|Berries on branches in [[Eastern Oklahoma]]
|Mulberry in Southern Brazil.jpg|Mulberry in southern Brazil
|Long Mulberry.JPG|Long mulberry
|Ripe red purple mulberries on a mulberry leaf.jpg|Semi-ripe mulberries on a mulberry leaf
|2014-10-30 10 05 50 Mulberry autumn foliage along Dunmore Avenue in Ewing, New Jersey.JPG|[[Autumn foliage]]
}}

==Taxonomy==

The taxonomy of ''Morus'' is complex and disputed. [[Fossil]]s of ''Morus'' appear in the [[Pliocene]] record of the [[Netherlands]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Martinez Cabrera HI |last2=Cevallos-Ferriz SRS |year=2006 |title=Maclura (Moraceae) wood from the Miocene of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico: Fossil and biogeographic history of its closer allies |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292995365 |journal=Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology |volume=140 |issue=1–2 |pages=113–122 |bibcode=2006RPaPa.140..113M |doi=10.1016/j.revpalbo.2006.03.004}}</ref> Over 150 species names have been published, and although differing sources may cite different selections of accepted names, less than 20 are accepted by the vast majority of botanical authorities. ''Morus'' classification is even further complicated by widespread [[hybrid (biology)|hybridisation]], wherein the hybrids are fertile.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

The following species are accepted:<ref name="30004492-2" >{{Cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=''Morus'' L. |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30004492-2 |access-date=5 July 2021 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*''[[Morus alba]]'' <small>L.</small> – white mulberry (China, Korea, Japan)
*''[[Morus australis]]'' <small>Poir.</small> – East and South-East Asia
*''[[Morus boninensis]]'' <small>Koidz.</small>
*''[[Morus cathayana]]'' <small>Hemsl.</small> – China, Japan, Korea
*''[[Morus celtidifolia]]'' <small>Kunth</small> – Texas mulberry (southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, South America) 
*''[[Morus indica]]'' <small>L.</small> – India, [[Southeast Asia]]
*''[[Morus koordersiana]]'' <small>J.-F.Leroy</small>
*''[[Morus liboensis]]'' <small>S.S.Chang</small> – [[Guizhou]] Province in China
*''[[Morus macroura]]'' <small>Miq.</small> – long mulberry (Tibet, Himalayas, Indochina)
*''[[Morus microphylla]]'' {{small|Buckley}}
*''[[Morus miyabeana]]'' <small>Hotta</small>
*''[[Morus mongolica]]'' <small>(Bureau) C.K.Schneid.</small>
*''[[Morus nigra]]'' <small>L.</small> - black mulberry (Iran, [[Caucasus]], [[Levant]])
*''[[Morus notabilis]]'' <small>C.K.Schneid.</small> – [[Yunnan]] and [[Sichuan]] Provinces in China
*''[[Morus rubra]]'' <small>L.</small> – red mulberry (eastern North America)
*''[[Morus serrata]]'' <small>Roxb.</small> – Tibet, Nepal, northwestern India
*''[[Morus trilobata]]'' <small>(S.S.Chang) Z.Y.Cao</small> – Guizhou Province in China
*''[[Morus wittiorum]]'' <small>Hand.-Mazz.</small> – southern China
{{div col end}}

==Distribution==
{{more citations needed|section|date=February 2018}}
[[File:Mulberry in Libya.jpg|thumb|right|Mulberry fruit in [[Libya]]]]

Black, red, and white mulberries are widespread in [[Southern Europe]], the [[Middle East]], [[Central Asia]], [[Northern Africa]], and the [[Indian subcontinent]], where the tree and the fruit have names under regional [[dialect]]s.

Black mulberry was imported to Britain in the 17th century in the hopes that it would be useful in the cultivation of silkworms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Timeline of the mulberry in London |url=https://www.moruslondinium.org/research/timeline |access-date=2024-05-26 |website= Morus Londinium }}</ref> It was much used in [[folk medicine]], especially in the treatment of [[tapeworm]]s.<ref>{{multiref2|1={{cite book |last1=Grieve |first1=Margaret |editor1=C. F. Leyel |title=A Modern Herbal | volume= I |edition=Facsimile |date=1971 |orig-date= First published 1931, London: Harcourt, Brace & Company |publisher=Dover Publications |location=New York |isbn=0-486-22798-7 |chapter-url=https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/m/mulcom62.html |chapter=Mulberry, Common |ref=none |url=https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/titlepg.html}}|2={{cite book |last1=Culpeper |first1=Nicholas |title=Culpeper's The Complete Herbal |date=1653 |chapter=The Mulberry-Tree |page=123 |via=Project Gutenberg |edition=New 1850 |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/49513/49513-h/49513-h.htm|author-link=Nicholas Culpeper |ref=none }}}}</ref>

The United States has native red mulberries,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gardening solutions |url=https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/fruits/mulberry/ |website=University of Florida}}</ref> as well as imported black and white mulberries. <!-- In USA, black mulberry was imported from Pakistan (hence named Pakistan black mulberry in USA). --> In North America, the white mulberry is considered an invasive exotic and has taken over extensive tracts from native plant species, including the red mulberry.<ref name=cabi/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Boning |first=Charles R. |title=Florida's Best Fruiting Plants: Native and Exotic Trees, Shrubs, and Vines |publisher=Pineapple Press, Inc. |year=2006 |location=Sarasota, Florida, US |page=153}}</ref>

Mulberries are also widespread in [[Greece]], particularly in the [[Peloponnese]], which in the [[Middle Ages]] was known as [[Morea]], deriving from the Greek word for the tree ({{lang|el|{{linktext|μουριά}}}}, ''{{Transliteration|el|mouria}}'').

Australia has two types of native mulberries: ''[[Hedycarya angustifolia]]'', and ''[[Pipturus argenteus]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-04 |title=Native Mulberry – ''Pipturus argenteus'' |url=https://aussiegreenthumb.com/native-mulberry-pipturus-argenteus/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=AussieGreenthumb |language=en-US}}</ref> which are both from different families to [[Moraceae]]. The exotic black, red and white ''Morus'' mulberries are also commonly grown in Australian backyards.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-28 |title=Australian Grow Guide: Mulberries |website=Ultimate Backyard |url=https://ultimatebackyard.com.au/how-to-grow-mulberries/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |language=en-US}}</ref> White mulberry is considered an [[environmental weed]] in the states of [[Queensland]] and [[New South Wales]].<ref name="qld">{{cite web |title=Weed Identification – White mulberry |url=https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/white-mulberry |website=Brisbane City Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240215102501/https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/white-mulberry |archive-date=15 February 2024 |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Cultivation ==
[[File:Canons Ashby House and Mulberry Tree - geograph.org.uk - 22987.jpg|thumb|A mulberry tree in [[England]]]]

Mulberries can be grown from seed, and this is often advised, as seedling-grown trees are generally of better shape and health. Mulberry trees grown from seed can take up to ten years to bear fruit. Mulberries are most often planted from large cuttings, which root readily. The mulberry plants allowed to grow tall have a [[tree crown|crown]] height of {{cvt|5|to|6|ft|m|1|order=flip}} from ground level and a stem girth of {{cvt|4|-|5|in|cm|0|order=flip}}. They are specially raised with the help of well-grown [[sapling]]s 8–10 months old of any of the varieties recommended for rainfed areas like S-13 (for red loamy soil) or S-34 (black cotton soil), which are tolerant to drought or soil-moisture stress conditions. Usually, the plantation is raised and in block formation with a spacing of {{cvt|6|by|6|ft|m|order=flip}}, or {{cvt|8|by|8|ft|m|order=flip}}, as plant-to-plant and row-to-row distances. The plants are usually pruned once a year during the [[monsoon season]] to a height of {{cvt|5|-|6|ft|m|1|order=flip}} and allowed to grow with a maximum of 8–10 shoots at the crown.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Mulberry tree [[Scion (grafting)|scion wood]] can easily be [[Grafting|grafted]] onto other mulberry trees during the winter, when the tree is dormant. One common scenario is converting a problematic male mulberry tree to an allergy-free female tree, by grafting all-female mulberry tree scions to a male mulberry that has been pruned back to the trunk.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ogren |first=Thomas Leo |title=Safe Sex in the Garden: and Other Propositions for an Allergy-Free World |date=2003 |publisher=Ten Speed Press |isbn=1580083145 |location=Berkeley, California, US |pages=22–23}}</ref> However, any new growth from below the graft(s) must be removed, as they would be from the original male mulberry tree.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Phipps |first=Nikki |title=Can Grafted Trees Revert to Their Rootstock? |url=http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/can-grafted-trees-revert-to-their-root-stock.htm |access-date=16 May 2014 |work=Gardening Know How}}</ref>

==Toxicity and allergenicity==
All parts of the plant besides the ripe fruit can exude a milky sap (latex) which is mildly toxic if ingested, causing digestive distress and, at larger doses, hallucinations.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hampton |first1=Nan |title=Toxic effect of mulberry fruits and sap |url=https://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=4480 |website=Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center |publisher=The University of Texas at Austin |access-date=2 March 2025 |date=18 August 2009 |department=Ask Mr Smarty Plants|quote= The toxic parts are the unripe berries and the white sap from any part. The symptoms are hallucinations and stomach upset.}}</ref>{{r|diggs|schmutz}} It is also an irritant and may cause a skin rash on contact.<ref name="ncpc">{{cite magazine |title=Is White Mulberry Poisonous? |url=https://www.poison.org/articles/is-white-mulberry-poisonous |magazine=The Poison Post |publisher=National Capital Poison Center |access-date=2 March 2025 |location=Washington, DC |language=en |date=March 2024}}</ref> Unripe green fruit may cause nausea, cramps, and be [[hallucinogen]]ic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=White mulberry – ''Morus alba'' |url=http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=200 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412062338/http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=200 |archive-date=2012-04-12 |access-date=20 October 2012 |website=Ohio Perennial and Biennial Weed Guide |publisher=The Ohio State University}}</ref> The berries have a [[laxative]] effect; too many will cause diarrhoea.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants |publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing]]; [[United States Department of the Army]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60239-692-0 |location=New York |page=69 |language=en-US |oclc=277203364}}</ref>

Some North American cities have banned the planting of mulberries because of the large amounts of pollen they produce, posing a potential health hazard for some [[pollen allergy]] sufferers.<ref>{{Citation|mode=cs1 |author=((El Paso City Manager)) |publisher=City of El Paso |date=July 10, 2007 |title=Discussion: Modify title 9 (Health and safety), Chapter 9.10 (Mulberry trees) |id=(Agenda item department head's summary form)|url=https://www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/agenda/07-10-07/07100715A.pdf |access-date=21 July 2014 |archive-date=2 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100802053127/http://www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/agenda/07-10-07/07100715A.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Only the male mulberry trees produce pollen; this lightweight pollen can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, sometimes triggering [[asthma]].<ref name="Ogren">{{Cite book |last=Ogren |first=Thomas Leo |url=https://archive.org/details/allergyfreegarde00thom |title=Allergy-Free Gardening |date=2000 |publisher=Ten Speed Press |isbn=1580081665 |location=Berkeley, California, US |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Charles L. |title=Tree pollen and hay fever |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/q5240e/q5240e07.htm |access-date=17 May 2014 |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]]}}</ref> Conversely, female mulberry trees produce all-female flowers, which draw pollen and dust from the air. Because of this pollen-absorbing feature, all-female mulberry trees have an [[OPALS (Ogren Plant Allergy Scale)|OPALS allergy scale]] rating of just 1 (lowest level of allergy potential), and some consider it "allergy-free".<ref name="Ogren" />

== Nutrition ==
{{nutritional value
| name = Raw mulberries
| water = 87.68 g
| kJ = 180
| protein = 1.44
| fat = 0.39
| carbs = 9.8
| fiber = 1.7
| sugars = 8.1
| calcium_mg = 39
| iron_mg = 1.85
| magnesium_mg = 18
| phosphorus_mg = 38
| potassium_mg = 194
| sodium_mg = 10
| zinc_mg = 0.12
| manganese_mg = 
| opt1n = 
| opt1v = 
| vitC_mg = 36.4
| thiamin_mg = 0.029
| riboflavin_mg = 0.101
| niacin_mg = 0.62
| pantothenic_mg = 
| vitB6_mg = 0.05
| folate_ug = 6
| vitA_ug = 1
| betacarotene_ug = 
| lutein_ug = 
| vitE_mg = 0.87
| vitK_ug = 7.8
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169913/nutrients US Department of Agriculture FoodData Central entry]{{r|fdc}}
}}

Raw mulberries are 88% water, 10% [[carbohydrate]]s, 1% [[protein]], and less than 1% [[fat]]. In a {{Convert|100|g|abbr=off|adj=on}} reference amount, raw mulberries provide 43 calories, 44% of the [[Daily Value]] (DV) for [[vitamin C]], and 14% of the DV for [[iron]]; other [[micronutrient]]s are insignificant in quantity.<ref name="fdc">{{cite web |title=Mulberries, raw |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169913/nutrients |website=FoodData Central |publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service |date=April 2019 |url-status=live |archive-date=1 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201090838/https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169913/nutrients |department=(Data Type: SR Legacy Food; Category: Fruits and Fruit Juices)}}</ref>

== Uses ==
===Agricultural===
The leaves are harvested three or four times a year by a leaf-picking method under rain-fed or semi-arid conditions, depending on the monsoon. The leaves are useful as animal fodder. The tree branches pruned in the fall (autumn; after the leaves have fallen) are cut and used to make durable baskets supporting agriculture and [[animal husbandry]].{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

=== Culinary ===
As the fruit matures, mulberries change in texture and color, becoming succulent, plump, and juicy, resembling a [[blackberry]].{{r|crfg}} The color of the fruit does not distinguish the mulberry species, as mulberries may be white, lavender or black in color. The fruit of the black mulberry (native to southwest Asia) and the red mulberry (native to eastern North America) have distinct flavors.{{r|Cloudforest}} White mulberry fruits are typically sweet, but not tart, while red mulberries are usually deep red, sweet, and juicy. Black mulberries are large and juicy, with balanced sweetness and tartness.{{r|crfg}} The fruit of the East Asian white mulberry – a species extensively naturalized in urban regions of eastern North America – has a different flavor, sometimes characterized as refreshing and a little tart, with a bit of gumminess to it and a hint of [[vanilla]].<ref name="Cloudforest">{{Cite web |title=Which mulberry to buy. Advise me! |url=http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/forum/36705.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608054433/http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/forum/36705.html |archive-date=2013-06-08 |website=The Cloudforest Gardener}}{{user-generated inline|date=March 2025}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=March 2025}}

Mulberries are used in pies, tarts, wines, [[cordial (drink)|cordial]]s, and [[herbal tea]]s.{{r|cabi|crfg}} [[Jam]]s and [[Sharbat (beverage)|sherbet]]s are often made from the fruit in the [[Old World]]. In spring, new tender twigs are semisweet and can be eaten raw or cooked.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Angier |first=Bradford |author-link=Bradford Angier |url=https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetoedib00angi/page/148/mode/2up |title=Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants |publisher=Stackpole Books |year=1974 |isbn=0-8117-0616-8 |location=Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US |page=148 |oclc=799792}}</ref>

=== Supplement ===
The fruit and leaves are sold in various forms as [[dietary supplement]]s.{{r|ncpc|supp}}

=== Silk industry ===
[[File:Silkworm mulberry tree zetarra marugatze arbolean3.JPG|thumb|left|A silkworm, ''[[Bombyx mori]]'', feeding on a mulberry tree]]

Mulberry leaves, particularly those of the white mulberry, are ecologically important as the sole food source of the [[silkworm]] (''Bombyx mori'', named after the mulberry genus ''Morus''), the [[cocoon (silk)|cocoon]] of which is used to make [[silk]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ombrello |first=T. |title=The mulberry tree and its silkworm connection |url=http://faculty.ucc.edu/biology-ombrello/POW/Plant-List.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019191608/http://faculty.ucc.edu/biology-ombrello/POW/Plant-List.htm |archive-date=2012-10-19 |access-date=2012-10-20 |website=Plant of the Week |publisher=Union County College |location=Cranford, NJ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mulberry silk |url=http://www.csb.gov.in/silk-sericulture/silk/mulberry-silk/ |access-date=20 October 2012 |publisher=Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles - Govt of India}}</ref> The [[Bombyx mandarina|wild silk moth]] also eats mulberry.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bisch-Knaden |first1=Sonja |last2=Daimon |first2=Takaaki |last3=Shimada |first3=Toru |last4=Hansson |first4=Bill S. |last5=Sachse |first5=Silke |date=January 2014 |title=Anatomical and functional analysis of domestication effects on the olfactory system of the silkmoth ''Bombyx mori'' |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences |language=en |volume=281 |issue=1774 |pages=20132582 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2013.2582 |issn=0962-8452 |pmc=3843842 |pmid=24258720}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tanaka |first1=Kana |last2=Uda |first2=Yusuke |last3=Ono |first3=Yukiteru |last4=Nakagawa |first4=Tatsuro |last5=Suwa |first5=Makiko |last6=Yamaoka |first6=Ryohei |last7=Touhara |first7=Kazushige |date=9 June 2009 |title=Highly Selective Tuning of a Silkworm Olfactory Receptor to a Key Mulberry Leaf Volatile |journal=Current Biology |language=en |volume=19 |issue=11 |pages=881–890 |bibcode=2009CBio...19..881T |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2009.04.035 |issn=0960-9822 |pmid=19427209 |s2cid=2414559 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Other [[Lepidoptera]] [[larva]]e&mdash;which include the [[common emerald]], [[Mimas tiliae|lime hawk-moth]], [[Sycamore (moth)|sycamore moth]], and [[fall webworm]]&mdash;also eat the plant.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tang |first1=Rui |last2=Zhang |first2=Feng |last3=Zhang |first3=Zhong-Ning |date=June 2016 |title=Electrophysiological Responses and Reproductive Behavior of Fall Webworm Moths (''Hyphantria cunea'' Drury) are Influenced by Volatile Compounds from Its Mulberry Host (''Morus alba'' L.) |journal=Insects |volume=7 |issue=2 |page=19 |doi=10.3390/insects7020019 |issn=2075-4450 |pmc=4931431 |pmid=27153095 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

The Ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated the mulberry for silkworms; at least as early as 220 AD, Emperor [[Elagabalus]] wore a silk robe.{{r|Lyle}} English clergy wore silk vestments from about 1500 onwards.{{r|Lyle}} Mulberry and the silk industry played a role in [[Colony of Virginia|colonial Virginia]].<ref name="Lyle">{{Cite book |last=Lyle |first=Katie Letcher |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/560560606 |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them |publisher=[[FalconGuides]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-59921-887-8 |edition=2nd |location=Guilford, Connecticut, US |page=103 |oclc=560560606 |orig-year=2004}}</ref>

=== Pigment ===
Mulberry fruit color derives from [[anthocyanin]]s, which have unknown effects in humans.<ref name="efsa2010">{{Cite journal|publisher=European Food Safety Authority |title=Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to various food(s)/food constituent(s) and protection of cells from premature aging, antioxidant activity, antioxidant content and antioxidant properties, and protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage |id=Pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/20061 |journal=EFSA Journal |author=((EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies)) |volume=8 |issue=2 |page=1489 |doi=10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1752 |doi-access=free}} [https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1752 Direct link]</ref> Anthocyanins are responsible for the attractive colors of fresh plant foods, including orange, red, purple, black, and blue.<ref name=efsa2010/> These colors are water-soluble and easily extractable, yielding natural [[food colorant]]s.{{r|cabi}} Due to a growing demand for natural food colorants, they have numerous applications in the food industry.{{r|duke|efsa2010}}

A cheap and industrially feasible method has been developed to extract anthocyanins from mulberry fruit that could be used as a fabric dye or food colorant of high [[color value]].<ref name=cabi/> Scientists found that, of 31 Chinese mulberry cultivars tested, the total anthocyanin yield varied from 148 to 2725&nbsp;mg/L of fruit juice.<ref name="liu">{{Cite journal |vauthors=Liu X, Xiao G, Chen W, Xu Y, Wu J |year=2004 |title=Quantification and purification of mulberry anthocyanins with macroporous resins |journal=Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology |volume=2004 |issue=5 |pages=326–331 |doi=10.1155/S1110724304403052 |pmc=1082888 |pmid=15577197 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Sugars, acids, and vitamins of the fruit remained intact in the residual juice after removal of the anthocyanins, indicating that the juice may be used for other food products.<ref name=liu/><ref name="cabi">{{Cite web |date=20 November 2019 |title=''Morus nigra'' (black mulberry) |url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/34830 |access-date=8 March 2020 |publisher=CABI}}</ref>

Mulberry [[germplasm]] resources may be used for:{{r|duke|cabi}}<ref name="usda">{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=''Morus alba'' L. |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=24607 |access-date=8 March 2020 |publisher=US Department of Agriculture, National Plant Germplasm System}}</ref>
* exploration and collection of fruit yielding mulberry species
* their characterization, cataloging, and evaluation for anthocyanin content by using traditional, as well as modern, means and [[biotechnology]] tools
* developing an information system about these cultivars and varieties
* training and global coordination of genetic stocks
* evolving suitable breeding strategies to improve the anthocyanin content in potential breeds by collaboration with various research stations in the field of sericulture, plant genetics, and breeding, biotechnology and [[pharmacology]]

=== Paper ===
During the Angkorian age of the [[Khmer Empire]] of [[Southeast Asia]], monks at Buddhist temples made paper from the bark of mulberry trees. The paper was used to make books, known as ''[[kraing]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Chhem KR, Antelme MR |year=2004 |title=A Khmer Medical Text ''The Treatment of the Four Diseases'' Manuscript |url=https://www.academia.edu/12005253 |journal=Siksācakr, Journal of Cambodia Research |volume=6 |pages=33–42}}</ref>

[[Tengujo]] is the thinnest paper in the world. It is produced in Japan and made with kozo (stems of mulberry trees).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whang |first=Oliver |date=May 5, 2020 |title=The Thinnest Paper in the World |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/science/the-thinnest-paper-in-the-world.html |access-date=9 May 2020 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Traditional Japanese [[Washi|washi paper]] is often created from parts of the mulberry tree.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is Washi? |url=https://www.washiarts.com/what-is-washi |access-date=May 22, 2024 |website=Washi Arts}}</ref>

=== Wood ===
The wood of mulberry trees is used for [[barrel aging]] of [[Țuică]], a traditional Romanian plum brandy.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Richard |last=Varr |title=Romanian Moonshine Home-brewed ţuica is the country's national drink |url=https://romaniatourism.com/press-romanian-moonshine-home-brewed-tuica-country-national-drink.html |access-date=2 March 2025 |magazine=Home and Away Magazine |via=Romania Tourism |date=March–April 2017}}</ref>

==Culture==
[[File:The Mulberry Tree by Vincent van Gogh.jpg|thumb|''Mulberry Tree'' by [[Vincent van Gogh]]]]

A [[Babylonia]]n [[etiological myth]], which [[Ovid]] incorporated in his ''[[Metamorphoses]]'', attributes the reddish-purple color of the mulberry fruits to the tragic deaths of the lovers [[Pyramus and Thisbe]]. Meeting under a mulberry tree (probably the native ''[[Morus nigra]]''),<ref name="ovid">{{Cite book |last=Reich |first=Lee |title=The Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts |date=2008 |publisher=CABI |isbn=9780851996387 |editor-last=Janick |editor-first=Jules |pages=504–507 |chapter=''Morus'' spp. mulberry |editor-last2=Paull |editor-first2=Robert E. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cjHCoMQNkcgC&pg=PA504}}</ref> Thisbe commits suicide by sword after Pyramus does the same, he having believed, on finding her bloodstained cloak, that she was killed by a lion. Their splashed blood stained the previously white fruit, and the gods forever changed the mulberry's colour to honour their forbidden love.<ref name=ovid/>

In the Old Testament's [[1 Maccabees]], the [[Seleucid army|Seleucids]] used the "blood of grapes and mulberries" to provoke their [[war elephant]]s in preparation for battle against [[Maccabees|Jewish rebels]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fuks |first1=Daniel |last2=Amichay |first2=Oriya |last3=Weiss |first3=Ehud |date=2020-01-27 |title=Innovation or preservation? Abbasid aubergines, archaeobotany, and the Islamic Green Revolution |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-019-00959-5 |journal=Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences |language=en |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=50 |doi=10.1007/s12520-019-00959-5 |bibcode=2020ArAnS..12...50F |issn=1866-9565}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Maxwell-Stuart |first=P. G. |date=1975 |title=1 Maccabees VI 34 Again |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1517274 |journal=Vetus Testamentum |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=230–233 |doi=10.2307/1517274 |jstor=1517274 |issn=0042-4935}}</ref>

The [[nursery rhyme]] "[[Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush]]" uses the tree in the refrain, as do some contemporary American versions of the nursery rhyme "[[Pop Goes the Weasel]]".{{r|bbc|asw}}

[[Vincent van Gogh]] featured the mulberry tree in some of his paintings, notably ''Mulberry Tree'' ({{lang|fr|Mûrier}}, 1889, now in [[Pasadena, California|Pasadena]]'s [[Norton Simon Museum]]). He painted it after a stay at an asylum, and he considered it a technical success.<ref>{{cite web |title=''The Mulberry Tree'', Vincent van Gogh (October 1889) |url=https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.1976.09.P |website=Norton Simon Museum |access-date=2 March 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="asw">{{Cite web |last=Uitti |first=Jacob |date=2022-08-08 |title=Behind the Meaning of the Joyous Nursery Rhyme, 'Pop! Goes the Weasel' |url=https://americansongwriter.com/meaning-pop-goes-the-weasel-nursery-rhyme-lyrics/ |access-date=2 March 2025 |website=American Songwriter |language=en-US}}</ref>

<ref name="bbc">{{cite magazine |title=What are the lyrics to 'Here we go round the mulberry bush'? |url=https://www.classical-music.com/features/works/what-are-the-lyrics-to-here-we-go-round-the-mulberry-bush |magazine=Classical Music {{!}} BBC Music Magazine |date=10 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

<ref name="diggs">{{cite book |editor1-last=Diggs |editor1-first=George M. Jr. |editor2-last=Lipscomb |editor2-first=Barney L. |editor3-last=O’Kennon |editor3-first=Robert J. |title=Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas |date=1999 |publisher=Botanical Research Institute of Texas |location=Fort Worth, Texas, US |isbn=1-889878-01-4 |pages=831–832 |url=http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTX%20pdf/FNCT%201457-1524.pdf}}</ref>

<ref name="duke">{{Citation|mode=cs1 |last= Duke |first=James A.|date=1983 |title=''Morus alba'' L., Moraceae: White mulberry, Russian mulberry, Silkworm mulberry, Moral blanco |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/morus_alba.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028142858/http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/morus_alba.html |archive-date=2012-10-28 |access-date=8 March 2020 |work=Handbook of Energy Crops |publisher=Purdue University}}</ref>

<ref name="schmutz">{{cite book |last1=Schmutz |first1=E. M. |last2=Hamilton |first2=L. B. |title=Plants that poison: An illustrated guide for the American Southwest |date=1979 |publisher=Northland Press |location=Flagstaff, Arizona, US |isbn=978-0-87358-193-6 |page=135 |url=https://archive.org/details/plantsthatpoison0000schm/page/134/mode/2up |url-access=registration}}</ref>

<ref name="supp">{{cite web |title=White Mulberry Leaf: Usefulness and Safety |url=https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/white-mulberry-leaf |work=NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health |date=September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123181834/https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/white-mulberry-leaf |archive-date=23 January 2025 |language=en |quote=Preparations from white mulberry leaves are sold as dietary supplements for controlling weight and blood glucose.|ref=none }}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Morus}}
{{NSRW Poster|Mulberry}}
* [http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=121220 Flora of China: ''Morus'']
* [http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=121220 Flora of North America: ''Morus'']
* [http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Morus.html Sorting ''Morus'' names] (University of Melbourne)
* [http://mulberrytrees.co.uk/vegetative/ Propagation (growing) by vegetative method]
* [http://mulberrytrees.co.uk/propagation/ Propagation (growing) by seed method]
* [http://www.le-murier.com/images/garden/large/IMG_0486.JPG photo of 300-year-old Japanese mulberry ]
* [http://www.silkgermplasm.com/ Central Sericultural Germplasm Resources Centre, Ministry of Textiles], Government of India
* [https://archive.today/20130126041341/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-21/delhi/30184188_1_ficus-single-tree-replant Replant a mulberry tree]: article from ''[[The Times of India]]''
* [https://www.moruslondinium.org/ The Morus Londinium project - Mulberry tree heritage in London, UK]

{{Silk fibre}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q44789}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Morus (plant)| ]]
[[Category:Berries]]
[[Category:Fruit trees]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Moraceae genera]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Pyramus and Thisbe]]