{{Short description|Species of tree}} {{Speciesbox | image = MorusRubra9.jpg | image_caption = | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn |author=Stritch, L. |date=2018 |title=''Morus rubra'' |article-number=e.T61890109A61890113 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T61890109A61890113.en |access-date=2 October 2022}}</ref> | taxon = Morus rubra | authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]] 1753 | range_map = Morus rubra range.png | range_map_caption = Native range }}
'''''Morus rubra''''', commonly known as the '''red mulberry''', is a species of [[Morus (plant)|mulberry]] native to [[Eastern United States|eastern]] and central [[North America]]. It is found from [[Ontario]], [[Minnesota]], and [[Vermont]] south to southern [[Florida]], and west as far as southeastern [[South Dakota]], [[Nebraska]], [[Kansas]], and central [[Texas]]. There have been reports of isolated populations (very likely naturalized) in [[New Mexico]], [[Idaho]], and [[British Columbia]].<ref>{{BONAP|ref|genus=Morus|species=rubra}}</ref>
Common in the [[United States]], it is listed as an [[endangered species]] in [[Canada]],<ref name="fna">{{EFloras|1|233500782|Morus rubra |family=Moraceae |first=Richard P. |last=Wunderlin}}</ref><ref name="ambrose">Ambrose, J. D., & Kirk, D. (2004). National Recovery Strategy for Red Mulberry (Morus rubra L.). Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Guelph, Ontario, Canada</ref> and is susceptible to [[Hybrid (biology)|hybridization]] with the [[invasive species|invasive]] [[white mulberry]] (''M. alba''), introduced from [[Asia]].<ref name="burgess">{{Cite journal |last=Burgess |first=K. S. |last2=Morgan |first2=M. |last3=Deverno |first3=L. |last4=Husband |first4=B. C. |date=2005 |title=Asymmetrical introgression between two ''Morus'' species (''M. alba, M. rubra'') that differ in abundance |url=http://www.botany.utoronto.ca/ResearchLabs/BarrettLab/pdf/Burgess%20et%20al.%202005.pdf |journal=Molecular Ecology |publisher=[[University of Toronto]], Barrett Lab |volume=14 |issue=17 |pages=3471–3483 |bibcode=2005MolEc..14.3471B |doi=10.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02670.x |pmid=16156816 |s2cid=31129733 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20080221205535/http://www.botany.utoronto.ca/ResearchLabs/BarrettLab/pdf/Burgess%20et%20al.%202005.pdf |archive-date=2008-02-21}}</ref>
== Description == [[File:Morus rubra 250389.png|thumb|left|1809 illustration<ref>Duhamel du Monceau, H.L., Traité des arbres et arbustes, Nouvelle édition [Nouveau Duhamel<nowiki>]</nowiki>, vol. 4: t. 23 (1809) [P.J. Redouté<nowiki>]</nowiki> drawing: P.J. Redouté lithograph Tassaert family: Moraceae subfamily: Moroideae tribe: Moreae 202746 ruber, rubra, rubrum 202746 ruber, rubra, rubrum Illustration contributed by: Real Jardín Botánico, Madrid, Spain</ref>]] Red mulberry is a small to medium-sized [[deciduous]] [[tree]], growing to {{convert|10|-|15|m|abbr=off|ft|round=5}} tall, rarely {{cvt|21|m|ft|round=5}}, with a trunk up to {{convert|50|cm|in|0|abbr=off}} in diameter. It can live for up to 125 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Red Mulberry – Morus rubra L. |url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/lapmcbr7910.pdf |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=nrcs.usda.gov}}</ref>
The [[leaves]] are [[alternate leaf|alternate]], {{cvt|7|-|18|cm|in|frac=4}} long (rarely to {{cvt|36|cm|in|frac=4|disp=or}}) and {{cvt|8|-|12|cm|in|frac=4}} broad (about twice as big as the white mulberry's leaves),<ref name="fna" /> simple, broadly cordate, with a shallow notch at the base, typically unlobed on mature trees although often with 2–3 lobes, particularly on young trees, and with a finely serrated margin.<ref name="fna" /> Unlike the leaves of white mulberry (''[[Morus alba|M. alba]]'') which have a lustrous upper surface, the red mulberry leaf upper surface is noticeably rough, similar in texture to fine sandpaper, and the underside is densely covered with soft [[Trichome|hairs]].<ref name="nepal">{{Cite journal |last=M. P. Nepal |last2=D. J. Wichern |date=2013 |title=Taxonomic Status Of Red Mulberry (Morus Rubra, Moraceae) At Its Northwestern Boundary |url=http://sdaos.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/2013/19-29.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science |volume=92 |page=19 |access-date=2019-07-01}}</ref><ref>Farrar, J.L. (1995). Trees in Canada. Fitzhenry and Whiteside/Canadian Forest Service, Markham, Ontario.</ref> The leaf [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]] exudes milky sap when severed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 July 2018 |title=Red Mulberry |url=http://www.auburn.edu/academic/forestry_wildlife/dendrology/dendrology/redmulberry.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706104645/http://www.auburn.edu/academic/forestry_wildlife/dendrology/dendrology/redmulberry.html |archive-date=6 July 2018 |access-date=12 March 2022}}</ref> The leaves turn yellow in autumn.
The [[flower]]s are relatively inconspicuous: small, yellowish green or reddish green and opening as leaves emerge. Male and female flowers are usually on separate trees although they may occur on the same tree.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
The fruit is a compound cluster of several small [[achene]]s surrounded by a fleshy calyx, similar in appearance to a [[blackberry]], {{cvt|2|-|3|cm|in|frac=4}} long. It is initially pale green, ripening to red or dark purple.<ref name="fna" />
The red mulberry develops an extensive root system, containing lateral, horizontal roots that remain within the upper 24 inches of the soil and smaller, vertical roots that go off the lateral roots. This combination gives stability and allows the tree to uptake the nutrients from the soil surface where nutrients are most abundant.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |date=11 January 2013 |title=Root structure of a mulberry tree |url=https://homeguides.sfgate.com/root-structure-mulberry-tree-60494.html |access-date=4 December 2022 |website=Homeguides}}</ref>
Red mulberry is hardy to subzero temperatures, relatively hardy to drought, pollution, and poor soil, though the white mulberry is hardier.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 June 2006 |title=Mulberry Fruit Facts |url=http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/mulberry.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615074544/http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/mulberry.html |archive-date=15 June 2006 |access-date=12 March 2022}}</ref>
The berries are widely sought after by birds in spring and early summer in North America; as many as 31 species of birds have been recorded visiting a fruiting tree in Arkansas.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jackson, J. L. |last2=Kannan, R. |date=2018 |title=Avian frugivory in a fruiting mulberry tree (''Morus rubra'') in Arkansas |url=https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3310&context=jaas |journal=Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science |volume=72 |pages=38–46 |doi=10.54119/jaas.2018.7219 |s2cid=143429173 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The red mulberry is pollinated by the wind.<ref name="Red Mulberry">{{Cite web |title=Red Mulberry |url=https://growables.com/information/TropicalFruit/RedMulberry.htm |website=Growables}}</ref>
According to the [[National Register of Champion Trees]], the largest extant red mulberry tree is 75 feet high, with a trunk circumference of 305 inches and [[tree crown measurement|average crown spread]] of 71 feet. The tree is located in [[Hamburg, Arkansas]] and was measured in 2018.<ref>{{Citation |url = https://www.americanforests.org/tree/red-mulberry-ar/ |title = Red Mulberry – AR |work = American Forests |publisher = [[American Forests]] |access-date = 2025-09-02 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |url = https://d3f9k0n15ckvhe.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021-National-Register-of-Champion-Trees.pdf |title = 2021 National Register of Champion Trees |publisher = [[American Forests]] |format = pdf |year = 2021 }}</ref>
== Distribution == The red mulberry plant is native to the United States. ''M. rubra'' occurs from the Atlantic coast to the eastern edge of the [[Great Plains]], south to [[southern Florida]] and north to southwestern [[Ontario]] in Canada. The native red mulberry can be mostly found in [[riparian]] areas, and is considered rare and threatened in many areas including [[northeastern United States]] and southeastern Canada.<ref>{{cite web |title=Morus rubra (Red mulberry) species profile |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/morrub/all.html |publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service |access-date=2026-01-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) – COSEWIC assessment and status report 2014 |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/cosewic-assessments-status-reports/red-mulberry-2014.html |publisher=Government of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada |access-date=2026-01-06}}</ref>
The morphologically similar ''M. alba'' is potentially posing a threat to the existence of ''M. rubra'' because of the rapid range expansion, aggressive growth patterns, and reproductive advantages over ''M. rubra''. The red mulberry is currently considered endangered in [[Canada]], and in the US, the states of [[Connecticut]] and [[Massachusetts]] as well as threatened in [[Michigan]] and [[Vermont]].<ref name="nepal" />
== Uses == [[File:Morus rubra Nana kz1.jpg|thumb|Young tree]]
The berries are edible and sweet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Morus rubra Red Mulberry, Common Mulberry, White Mulberry PFAF Plant Database |url=https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Morus+rubra |access-date=2022-05-15 |website=[[Plants for a Future]]}}</ref> The first English colonists to explore eastern Virginia in 1607 mentioned the abundance of both mulberry trees and their fruit, which was eaten (sometimes boiled) by the native [[Powhatan]] tribes. Today, mulberries are eaten raw, used in the fillings of pastries, and fermented into wine. They are also used for marmalades, liquors, natural dyes, and cosmetics.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ercisli |first=S. |last2=Orhan |first2=E. |year=2007 |title=Chemical composition of white (Morus alba), red (Morus rubra) and black (Morus nigra) mulberry fruits |journal=Food Chemistry |volume=103 |issue=4 |pages=1380–1384 |doi=10.1016/J.FOODCHEM.2006.10.054 }}</ref> The berries are not commercially sold because they have very short "shelf lives" and pack/ship very poorly.<ref name="North Carolina">{{Cite web |last=North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolb ox |title=Morus rubra (Common Mulberry, Mulberry, Red Mulberry) |url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/morus-rubra/ |access-date=2 December 2022 |website=North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox}}</ref>
The wood may be dried and used for smoking meats with a flavour that is mild and sweet. It is also used for fenceposts because the heartwood is relatively durable. Other uses of the wood include farm implements, cooperage, furniture, interior finish, and caskets.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lamson |first=N. |title=Morus rubra L. |url=https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/morus/rubra.htm |access-date=2 December 2022 |website=USDA}}</ref>
===History=== Some Native American tribes used an infusion of the bark as a [[laxative]] or [[purgative]]. Infusions of the root were used to treat weakness and urinary ailments. The sap was applied to the skin to treat ringworm.<ref name="fna" /> [[Choctaw]] people wove clothing from the inner bark of young ''M. rubra'' and similar shoots.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Little |first=Elbert L. |title=The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Western Region |publisher=Knopf |year=1994 |isbn=0-394-50761-4 |edition=Chanticleer Press |page=426 |orig-date=1980}}</ref>
Documentations of the use of red mulberry go back to 1500 by the [[De Soto expedition]], which recorded the consumption of dried fruits by the indigenous [[Muscogee|Muskogee]] peoples. There were diverse uses of mulberry in different [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous]] cultures. Among them, the [[Cherokee]] mixed cornmeal and sugar to the berries, to make sweet dumplings. Later on, European settlers also used the mulberry fruits to make pies or preserves. The trees were also important as a source of livestock feed and wood for furniture or boats.<ref name="IFAS">{{Cite web |last=Andreu |first=Michael G. |last2=Friedman |first2=Melissa H. |last3=McKenzie |first3=Mary |last4=Quintana |first4=Heather V. |title=Morus rubra, Red Mulberry |url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR326 |access-date=13 November 2022 |website=IFAS Extension |publisher=EDIS}}</ref>
The [[Choctaw Indians]] used to prepare a kind of cloth out of the bark of ''Morus'' and would produce a yellow dye from the root of the same plant.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Romans |first=B. |author-link=Bernard Romans |title=A Concise Natural History of East and West Florida |publisher=Printed for the author |year=1775 |location=New York |page=[https://archive.org/details/concisenaturalhi00roma/page/84/mode/2up 85] |language=en |oclc=745317190}}. Later, he wrote, "The Choctaws put its inner bark in hot water along with a quantity of ashes and obtain filaments, with which they weave a kind of cloth not unlike a coarse hempen cloth." (ibid., p. 142). Romans, not knowing the species in question, conjectured that it may have been ''Morus papyrifera'', a plant now largely recognized as being native to Asia.</ref>
=== Cultivation === [[File:MorusRubra2.jpg|thumb|Fruit]] In an early stage, pruning is necessary to make the red mulberry tree develop a sturdy framework. Afterwards, the pruning requirements of the red mulberry involve mainly removing dead or overcrowded wood. To keep the tree in a tidy form, it is suggested to choose a few main branches and cut the laterals to six leaves in July. This allows the spurs to develop near the main branches. However, the red mulberry tree tends to bleed after pruning, so pruning should be reduced to a minimum and should be conducted when the tree is dormant, as the bleeding is less severe then. Removing branches of more than 2 inches in diameter should be absolutely avoided.<ref name="Red Mulberry" /> When tilling the soil, it must be paid attention not to damage the horizontal roots. Cutting them would impair nutrient uptake.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |date=11 January 2013 |title=Root structure of a mulberry tree |url=https://homeguides.sfgate.com/root-structure-mulberry-tree-60494.html |access-date=4 December 2022}}</ref>
In the first year of a red mulberry's lifetime, a sufficient water supply is critical for the development of the root system. Young mulberry trees should be watered thoroughly twice a week if growing on light soils and once a week if growing on clay soils. Later, the red mulberry is drought tolerant, although under [[water scarcity]] it may drop its fruits too early which results in berry yield losses. Thus, for berry production, irrigation is recommended under dry conditions.<ref name="Red Mulberry" />
Mulching helps to retain moisture in the soil and to reduce the competition with grass and weeds. Thus, it is recommended to apply mulch under mulberry trees. The mulch should not touch the stem as this may lead to rotting.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Managing your Mulberry |url=https://www.moruslondinium.org/research/managing-your-mulberry |access-date=13 November 2022 |website=Moruslondinium}}</ref> Mulberry trees thrive with little to no fertilizer. Fertilizing more than twice a year should be avoided and fertilizing later than July may lead to freeze damage. {{citation needed | date=April 2024}} An NPK value of 10-10-10 is targeted and depending on the available nutrients in the soil, other nutrients like iron should be added.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to care for a Mulberry tree |url=https://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-a-Mulberry-Tree#:~:text=Fertilize%20your%20mulberry%20tree.&text=An%20NPK%20value%20of%2010,the%20trunk%20of%20the%20tree |website=wikiHow}}</ref>
Usually, the red mulberry is free from pests and diseases but in some areas the "popcorn disease" may occur. In that case, infected fruits should be collected and burned, to prevent the pathogens population to reproduce and survive for the next season.<ref name="Red Mulberry" /> If cultivated for fruits, male and female plants must be grown, if a monoecious variety is chosen. However, there are also dioecious varieties. To harvest the fruit, branches are usually shaken and the fruit collected manually.<ref name="mulone">{{Cite web |title=Mulberries |url=https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/mulberries |access-date=13 November 2022 |website=AgMRC}}</ref>
=== Climatic and soil requirements === Mulberry grows in various climatic conditions and can be found in climates between temperate and tropical.<ref name="Sharma">{{Cite journal |last=Sharma |first=S.K. |last2=Zote |first2=K.K |date=2010 |title=Mulberry – A multi purpose tree species for varied climate |journal=Range Management and Agroforestry |volume=31 |pages=97–101}}</ref> Red mulberry plants require a total annual rainfall of {{convert|1,000|-|2,000|mm|abbr=on}}<ref name="Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants">{{Cite book |last=Lim |first=Tong Kwee |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=32rWbxUtjeMC |title=Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants: Volume 3, Fruits |date=2021 |publisher=Springer Netherlands |isbn=978-94-007-2534-8}}</ref> and are adapted to altitudes of up to {{cvt|800|m}}.{{citation needed|date=December 2025}} The native environment of red mulberry most often consists of moist forests, thickets on floodplains, moist hillsides and river banks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/MORU2|title=''Morus rubra'' L., red mulberry|publisher=Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture|date=2025|access-date=13 December 2025}}</ref>
It can tolerate short periods of flooding and can tolerate temperatures as low as {{convert|-36|C|F}}. Optimal growing temperatures are between {{convert|24|and|28|C|F}}. At least 140 frost free days a year are required.<ref>{{Cite book |last=CPL |first=A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TOBSEAAAQBAJ |title=Nutrient-Rich Berries: Growing Practices and Food Uses |date=2021 |publisher=Agrihortico}}</ref> Normally, the tree grows in full sun, but growth is also possible in partial shading. Red mulberry is also drought tolerant.<ref name="Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants" />
In its native habitat red mulberry grows in mesic hardwood forests in moist soils,<ref name="IFAS" /> although they can be found in many different moist soils. Such soils include inceptisols, alfisols, spodosols and ultisols.<ref name="Silvics">{{Cite book |last=United States Department of Agriculture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o8WKu60ZUwUC |title=Silvics of North America |date=1990 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |edition=Volume 654, nr.2}}</ref> The plants prefer deep, well drained soils that range from loamy to clayey and have a high moisture-holding capacity.<ref name="Sharma" /> A soil pH of 5-7 is optimal.<ref name="Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants" />
=== Yield === Mulberries yield wood for timber, with an average 10–15 m height and diameter of 50 cm. The timber volume is 0.962 m<sup>3</sup> to 1.435 m<sup>3</sup>.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Volume de l'arbre sur pied |url=https://www.timberpolis.fr/calc-standing-tree-volume.php#goToPage}}</ref> Mulberry wood has the same quality as oak, which can be sold for 90-150 euro per m3. Nevertheless, to achieve a quantity of 1m3, we should have to take down the whole tree, which can be counterproductive in the case of fruit production.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Les prix du chêne et du hêtre s'envolent, au grand dam des scieries wallonnes |url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/les-prix-du-chene-et-du-hetre-s-envolent-au-grand-dam-des-scieries-wallonnes-10894243 |website=rtbf.be}}</ref>
Nevertheless, the wood from the trimming can still be used as firewood and the biggest parts for furniture or turned objects. An additional yield of 8–12 tons/acre/year (20–30 tons/hectare/year) can be achieved with the littler parts and the leaves which serve as forage. Only 2 to 3 years after whip cultivar plantation, the tree should already start to fruit. The yields of fruits should reach 3 to 5 kg (per tree per year) on the first years until 300 kg for a mature tree.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alfrey |first=Paul |date=29 September 2021 |title=Mo' Mulberry — A guide to probably everything you need to know about growing Mulberry |url=https://thepolycultureproject.medium.com/mo-mulberry-the-essential-guide-to-all-you-need-to-know-about-mulberry-28a0c11b611}}</ref>
== Economic aspects == In 2015, almost 3.4 million pounds of frozen mulberries were imported to the US – a market value of 2.6 million US dollars. The demand for the fruit is still rising and the prices are high. This constitutes a great opportunity for mulberry producers.<ref name=mulone/> It takes ten years from the seedling stage, until a mulberry tree bears fruit.<ref name=mulone/> Thus, for the decision of building up a mulberry orchard, one needs to estimate not the current demand but the market potential of ten years later. This involves more risk and long-term planning. However, there are grafted varieties that produce fruit earlier<ref name=mulone/> and reduce this problem.
In future, the economic viability of mulberry production may increase even more as its drought resistance constitutes an opportunity for agriculture under climate change and as the fruit contains many micronutrients and vitamins, while people pay more and more attention to healthy nutrition.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
As mulberry production is not yet mechanized well, a lot of labor is required, especially to harvest the fruit. However, there is potential for mechanizing the shaking of the branches, as in tart cherry harvesting. A difficulty in the commercial use of mulberries is the fragility of the berries which constitutes a challenge in storage and transport.<ref name=mulone/> The leading producers of mulberry fruit are Turkey and Iran. They are the main mulberry suppliers to Europe. However, they mainly produce white and black mulberry - thus, the production of red mulberry is still less widespread.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
Agroforestry constitutes an opportunity to further improve the viability of red mulberry cultivation. Short-duration legume crops as intercrops improves the soil, controls weeds, and creates additional revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mulberry Cultivation: Know the Soil Requirement, Varieties, Propagation and Harvesting |url=https://krishijagran.com/agripedia/mulberry-cultivation-know-the-soil-requirement-varieties-propagation-and-harvesting/ |access-date=13 November 2022 |website=Agripedia}}</ref>
== Limitations to cultivation == Red mulberry has not been widely cultivated in much of the world, due to several undesirable characteristics: * The red mulberry cannot be used for silk production, unlike the white mulberry. Silkworms reject the leaves of the red mulberry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manual of Instructions for Raising Mulberry Trees and Silk Worms |url=https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Stout84-t19.html |access-date=13 November 2022 |website=NZETC}}</ref> * Red mulberry trees do not begin producing fruit for about ten years after planting. The highest yields are obtained after 30–85 years.<ref name="Morus Rubra">{{Cite web |title=Morus Rubra |url=https://practicalplants.org/wiki/morus_rubra/ |website=Practical Plants}}</ref> Planting for berry production thus requires significant long-term investment before economic payout. * Despite its drought tolerance, the red mulberry may drop fruits prematurely if the roots are drought-stressed.<ref name="Red Mulberry" /> * The fruits are delicate which complicates packing and shipping.<ref name="mulone" /> * Sensitive people may be confronted with dermatitis when touching the leaves, the stem, or the unripe fruits of a mulberry tree. The leaf sap and unripe fruits can even lead to hallucinations and central nervous system disturbances.<ref name="Morus Rubra" /> * The fruits are attractive to several mammal and bird species, requiring costly and complex pest prevention strategies for such large trees.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 September 2012 |title=The advantages of the Red Mulberry Tree |url=https://homeguides.sfgate.com/advantages-red-mulberry-tree-43345.html |access-date=13 November 2022 |website=Homeguides}}</ref> * Breeding takes long due to the long generation time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mulberry breeding, cultivation and utilization in Japan |url=https://www.fao.org/3/X9895E/x9895e05.htm |access-date=13 November 2022 |website=FAO}}</ref> * Although they are resistant to many pathogens, there are some diseases that can affect mulberry trees. Common pests and diseases include mulberry leaf spot, bacterial blight (bacterium – Pseudomonas syringae pv. mori), powdery mildew (fungi – Phyllactinia corylea and Uncinula geniculata) or different root rot diseases.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mulberry |url=https://plantdiseasehandbook.tamu.edu/landscaping/trees/mulberry/ |access-date=13 November 2022 |website=Texas Plant Disease Handbook}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20181214115445/https://www.plantmaps.com/nrm/morus-rubra-red-mulberry-native-range-map.php Interactive Distribution Map of ''Morus rubra''] * {{Commons category-inline|Morus rubra|''Morus rubra''}} * {{Wikispecies-inline}} * [https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/fnr/fnr_237.pdf?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv4_a1demo0itcc90f Purdue University FNR Know your Trees Series: Red and White Mulberry in Indiana]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1520764}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Morus (plant)|rubra]] [[Category:Plants described in 1753]] [[Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]] [[Category:Trees of Northern America]] [[Category:Fruit trees]]