Red Mulberry
Morus Rubra L.
By: Rachel Finke
Classification: (1)
Kingdom
Plantae
Plants
Subkingdom
Tracheobionte
Vascular Plants
Superdivision
Spermatophyta
Seed Plants
Division
Magnoliophyta
Flowering Plants
Class
Magnoliopsida
Dicotyledons
Subclass
Hamamelididae
Order
Urticales
Family
Moraceae
Mulberry Family
Genus
Morus L.
Mulberry
Species
Morus Rubra L.
Red Mulberry
Figure 1

The Red Mulberry
Tree grows to be
medium-sized. It has
a short trunk, and the
branches broaden
out to make a wide,
rounded crown. The
tree produces a milky
sap. The normal
height for a Red
Mulberry is 60 feet. (2)
Figure 2
Figure 3

Figure 3
Young Red
Mulberry trees start
off as an orange
color. (3) Then, as
they grow, the
bark becomes a
brown color. Red
Mulberry bark is
very scaly. (2)

The twig of a Red
Mulberry is slender and
the same color as the
matured bark. (2) They
have a scent, have
definite margins, and
also have overlapping
scales. When broken, a
silvery-white filament is
present. (3) As you can
see in Figure 6, the bud
is a darker green with a
scar located right
beside it.
Figure 4
Figure
6

Leaves on this tree are ovate and sharply
pointed. They have coarse teeth and
usually two or three lobes. These leaves
are a rough, dark green leaf that have
soft hairs on the bottom. (2)
Figure 5

A Red Mulberry tree can
be either dioecious or
monoecious. You can find Figure 7
both male and female
flowers, which are catkins
shaped as a pendulum,
on the same tree. These
flowers will usually appear
in the late spring. (4)
Flowers of a Red Mulberry
are pale green in color
and won’t exceed two
inches in length. (3) The
male flower is shown on
top, the female on
bottom.
Figure 8

Female flowers ripen
together to produce
a fruit that consist of
small, round
drupelets. These
drupelets could be
compared to a
blackberry. (4) These
fruits will appear in
the summer and will
range in size from
one inch to one and
a quarter inches. (3)
Figure 9
Figure 10

Figure 11
If you visit the
Eastern and Central
parts of the United
States, you are most
likely to find a Red
Mulberry tree. These
trees can tolerate
shady areas. (5) The
Red Mulberry has its
best growth in moist
areas. (4)

Birds and small mammals take use of the
Red Mulberry for food. They will eat the
sweet fruits the tree produces. The fruits
are also used in the creation of different
foods, drinks and furniture.(6)
Figure 12
1. 2010. USDA. NRCS. PLANTS Profile for Morus rubra (red mulberry) | USDA PLANTS. Welcome
to the PLANTS Database | USDA PLANTS. June 23,2010.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MORU2
2. 2000. Society, National Audubon. "Mulberry Family." National Audubon Society Field Guide
to North American Trees--E: Eastern Region (Eastern). Chanticleer Press Ed ed. New York:
Knopf, 1980. 432-433. Print.
3. 2010. Morus rubra Fact Sheet. College of Natural Resources | Virginia Tech. June 23,2010.
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=58
4. Neil 1. Lamson. Morus rubra L. Red Mulberry. Moore, Dwight M., and William P. Thomas.
1977. Red mulberry/Morus rubra L. In Southern fruit-producing woody plants used by
wildlife. p. 55-56. Lowell K. Halls, ed. USDA Forest Service, General Technical Report SO16. Southern Forest Experiment Station, New Orleans, LA. June 24,2010.
http://na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/morus/rubra.htm
5. 2002-2009. Nature Hills Nursery, Inc. Red Mulberry. Trees, Plants, Bushes, and Shrubs offered
by Nature Hills Nursery. June 24,2010.
http://www.naturehills.com/product/red_mulberry.aspx
6. Neil Lamson. Morus rubra L. Red Mulberry. Martin, Alexander C., Herbert S. Zim,
and Arnold L. Nelson. 1961. Mulberry family: Moraceae. In American wildlife
and plants. p. 313-314. Dover Publications, New York. June 24,2010.
http://na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/morus/rubra.htm
7. Neil 1. Lamson. Morus rubra L. Red Mulberry. June 24,2010.
http://na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/morus/rubra.htm
1. USDA. NRCS. PLANTS Profile for Morus rubra (red mulberry) | USDA PLANTS.
Welcome to the PLANTS Database | USDA PLANTS. June 23,2010.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MORU2
2. Red Mulberry Form Image. June 23,2010.
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2008/07/14/WNYwillieB/2240da.jpg
3. 2010. Morus rubra Fact Sheet. College of Natural Resources | Virginia Tech. June
23,2010. June 23,2010
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=58
4. Morus rubra (red mulberry) – twig. June 23,2010.
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/image/m/moru2-tw15428.htm
5. Morus rubra (red mulberry) - leaf – several. June 23,2010.
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/image/m/moru2-lfseveral38368.htm
6. Red Mulberry Twig- with Bud. June 24,2010.
https://fp.auburn.edu/sfws/samuelson/dendrology/images/moraceae/rd_mulberry%2
0twig1.jpg
7. April 4,2007. Durham, NC. Red Mulberry (Morus Rubra). Male Flower. June 24,2010.
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/moru.html
8. May 2,2009. Chapel Hill, NC. Red Mulberry (Morus Rubra). Female Flower. June 24,2010.
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/moru.html
9. June 13,2006. Person Co., NC. Red Mulberry (Morus Rubra). Fruit detail. June 24,2010.
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/moru.html
10. July 19,2006. FYN Program Assistant Ed Ayen. University of Florida. Florida Yards &
Neighborhoods. Incredible Edible Native Plants of Central Florida. Red Mulberry Fruit.
Picture by Dan Culbert. June 24,2010.
http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/FYN.edible.natives.htm
11. USDA. NRCS. Plants Profile. Distribution: Morus Rubra L. June 24,2010.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MORU2
12. Twelve 22. Mulberry Jam. June 24,2010.
http://www.twelve22.org/images/2009-02-17jam.jpg