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Morus species

Common name:	Mulberry	Family:	Moraceae
Author:	.	Botanical references:
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	A hybrid of garden origin, M. alba x M. rubra..
Habitat:	Not known in the wild.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	M. species[HORTIPLEX]
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Urticales. Mulberry family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 10m at a medium rate. . The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy, Secondary.

Cultivar 'Hybrid Black': Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.
Cultivar 'Illinois Everbearing': Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw. A very sweet flavour, it is considered to be one of the best mulberries. The fruit ripens over a long period. The fruit is large, individual fruits can weigh 350 grams, and very long.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a warm well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position[1, 11].
This cultivar, a cross between the red and the white mulberry, is a very hardy and productive clone. Its young grafts are very vigorous.
Mulberries have brittle roots and so need to be handled with care when planting them out[238].
Any pruning should only be carried out in the winter when the plant is fully dormant because mulberries bleed badly when cut[238]. Ideally prune only badly placed branches and dead wood[238].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

The seed germinates best if it is given 2 - 3 months cold stratification[80, 98]. Sow February in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. This is a hybrid and will not breed true to type.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Plant out in spring. A good percentage take, though they sometimes fail to thrive[78, 113].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 25 - 30cm with a heel of 2 year old wood, autumn or early spring in a cold frame or a shady bed outside[78, 113,200]. Bury the cuttings to threequarters of their depth.
Layering in autumn[200].

Cultivars

'Illinois Everbearing': This cultivar, a cross between the red and the white mulberry, is a very hardy and productive clone. Its young grafts are very vigorous[183]. The black fruit is large and very long, averaging over 2 grammes each, it is nearly seedless with a very sweet flavour and good to very good quality[183]. It matures over a long season[183].
'Hybrid Black': The large, slightly curved black fruit is up to 4cm long and 12mm in diameter[183]. The flavour is sweet, the quality good to excellent[183]. A compact, shrub-like tree, it bears heavy crops[183].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

References for Morus species (a possible synonym).

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Moraceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[80] McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985 ISBN 0-901361-21-6
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.

[98] Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.
Very comprehensive guide to growing trees and shrubs from seed. Not for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Morus++species
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