Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)

Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Urticales>Moraceae>Morus rubra L.

	Red Mulberry in an uncommon medium-sized understory tree. The leaves are similar in shape to the naturalized White Mulberry (M. alba), but are rough above and not glossy, and also similar to Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera), but are not as rough-hairy. Confusing the situation, Red Mulberry and White Mulberry often hybridize, resulting in trees with intermediate characteristics. Orange Co., NC 9/20/02.
	As with Sassafras, the leaves are highly variable - these three were taken from one tree. Orange Co., NC 9/20/02.
	Staminate (male) flowers. Flowers appear in April. Durham, NC 4/4/07.
	Staminate flowers. Mulberries are dioecious - male and female flowers are normally on separate trees. Durham, NC.

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) female flowers

Pistillate (female flowers).

Chapel Hill, NC 5/2/09.

	Developing fruits. Orange Co., NC 5/8/04.
	The tasty aggregate fruits produced from female flowers are black when mature and look a lot like blackberries. Person Co., NC 6/13/06.
	Fruit detail. Person Co., NC 6/13/06.
	Bark of a young tree.
	Bark of a small tree. Person Co., NC 6/13/06.
	Bark of older trees is rough, with long ridges. Orange Co., NC 9/20/02.

More information:
Trees of Alabama and the Southeast
US Forest Service Silvics Manual
Virginia Tech Dendrology

cwcook@duke.edu

All photographs and text ©2009 by Will Cook unless otherwise indicated.