Morus alba

Tree

HomeTreeMorus alba

Not known in a truly wild situation.

Family: Moraceae
Height: 18 m / 60 ft
Sun, Semi-shade
Light, Medium and Heavy Soil
Moist

Plant Rating

Edible Uses: 4 of 5
Medicinal Uses: 3 of 5
Other Uses: 4 of 5

Native Habitat

White Mulberry, Common Mulberry, Morus alba native habitat is Not known in a truly wild situation.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. A sweet taste, but the fruit is usually insipid. It contains about 1.5% protein, 0.5% fat, 8% carbohydrate, 0.7% malic acid. Fruits of the cultivar 'Pendulum' tried at Kew in July 1994 had a pleasant flavour. A richer flavour develops if the fruit is dried, it can then be used as a raisin substitute. The fruit is up to 25mm long. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Per 100 g, the fruit is reported to contain 87.5 g water, 1.5 g protein, 0.49 g fat, 8.3 g carbohydrates, 1.4 g fiber, 0.9 g ash, 80 mg Ca, 40 mg P, 1.9 mg Fe, 174 IU vit. A, 9 ?g thiamine, 184 µg riboflavin, 0.8 mg nicotinic acid, and 13 mg ascorbic acid. Young leaves and shoots - cooked. A famine food, used when all else fails. The leaf makes a good vegetable, it is rich in carotene and calcium. Protein perparations from young mulberry leaves form an excellent supplement to protein-deficient diets. The dry leaves contain 18 - 28.8% protein, 0.2 - 0.7% Magnesium, 0.8 - 13.6% soluble sugars, 0.6 - 1.4% phosphorus, 2 - 3.9% potassium, 1.4 - 2.4% calcium, 0.8 - 1.8% aluminium, 0.05 - 0.26% iron, 1.8 - 2.6% silica, and 0.3 - 0.56% sulphur. The leaf also contains 10% tannin. Inner bark - roasted and ground into a meal then used as a thickener in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread. A famine food, used when all else fails. The tree is said to be a source of an edible manna. Young shoots can be used as a tea substitute.