Mulberries in North America
(in progress)
| Morus alba (white mulberry) | Morus nigra (black mulberry) | Morus rubra (red mulberry) |
|---|---|---|
| Broadly naturalized in North America |
Not known to naturalize in North America, but sometimes planted |
Broadly native to central/eastern North America |
| Fruits white, pink, red, purple, or black at various stages (might be any color when ripe) | Fruits white, pink, red, purple, or black at various stages (colors when ripe?) | Fruits white, red, purple, or black at various stages (usually black/purple when ripe) |
| Fruits mostly stubbier (length to width ratio mostly 1.5 to 3) | ? | Fruits mostly longer (length to width ratio mostly 2.5 to 4) |
| Buds small, tannish-brown; twigs pinkish-brown | Buds large, dark brown/black | Buds large, reddish-brown; twigs pale tan |
| Leaves lobed or unlobed, often deeply lobed | ? | Leaves lobed or unlobed (less commonly or deeply lobed) |
| Leaves mostly 3 to 8 cm wide, rarely more than 15 cm long | ? | Leaves mostly 8 to 22 cm wide, larger leaves often more than 15 cm long |
| Leaves mostly hairless and glossy on the surface; brighter yellowish green | Leaves roughly hairy on the surface, dull | Leaves roughly hairy on the surface, dull, slightly wrinkly/rugose; bluer-green |
| Few, short hairs on the leaf back (0.2-0.5 mm), primarily on major veins | Hairy (expand) | Many, longer hairs on the leaf back (0.4-0.7 mm), all over |
| Leaf tip not commonly elongated like a lil tail | ? | Leaf tip often caudate/acuminate/elongated (like a lil tail) |
(Morus microphylla not yet included here)
(are there other spp in Mexico?)
what else?
Sources:
- http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=121220
- http://bluegrasswoodland.com/uploads/Muddled_Mulberries_in_Kentucky.pdf
- Weakley, Alan S. 2022. Flora of the Southeastern United States, University of North Carolina Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Wilhelm & Rericha. 2017. Flora of the Chicago Region. Indiana Academy of Science.
As of 19 June 2022 there are about 2,750 obs (2,100 Needs ID, 200 RG) of Morus nigra in North America on iNat, most of which are misidentified Morus alba. You can help out with ID here!
