Editing Morus alba

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; width: 320px; margin-left: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em;"
! colspan="2" style="background: #e8e8e8;" | White mulberry (''Morus alba'')
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[File:Morus alba - fruit and leaves.jpg|300px|Morus alba fruit and leaves in Mexico.]]
|-
! Scientific name
| ''Morus alba'' <sup id="cite_ref-1">[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup>
|-
! Common names
| White mulberry; common mulberry
|-
! Genus
| [[Morus]]
|-
! Family
| [[Moraceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Rosales]]
|-
! Origin
| China
|-
! Habit
| Deciduous tree
|-
! Mature size
| Up to about 18 m
|-
! Fruit
| Edible ripe fruit, up to about 25 mm in some descriptions
|}

''Morus alba'', the white mulberry or common mulberry, is a deciduous fruit tree associated with Chinese origin. It is a fast-growing tree with a shallow root system, and it tolerates full sun to partial shade, a range of well-drained soils, heat, and periods of drought. <sup id="cite_ref-2">[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-3">[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Description ==

White mulberry can develop into a tree of about 18 m, although final size depends on the site and plant. The species is deciduous and has a shallow root system. Its fruit is described as reaching about 25 mm in some accounts, but size and flavor vary among plants. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

The flowers are separate male and female flowers. Fruit is produced on female plants, and wind pollination is reported. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Cultivation ==

=== Soil and water ===

Use fertile, moist, well-drained soil where possible. White mulberry is reported from light, medium, and heavy well-drained soils and can tolerate both moist conditions and drought. The shallow root system makes consistent soil structure and drainage especially useful; avoid treating drought tolerance as a reason to keep the root zone permanently dry. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

=== Sun and humidity ===

Plant in full sun or partial shade. An open, well-drained position suits the reported light tolerance and helps a vigorous tree make use of its rapid growth. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

=== Seasonal changes ===

The tree is deciduous. Flowering is described around May in one account, while fruit maturation is placed around June; another account describes seed ripening in July and August. Treat these as climate- and plant-dependent seasonal indications rather than fixed harvest dates. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Propagation ==

Seed, cuttings, and layering are listed propagation routes for white mulberry. Keep the seedling or cutting identified to the parent plant when fruit quality matters, because a propagation method alone does not preserve a named selection. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==

Male and female flowers are separate, and fruit production is associated with female plants. Wind pollination is reported. A fruiting plant therefore needs appropriate flowering and pollination conditions; a calendar date alone cannot guarantee a crop. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

The fruit is described as edible when ripe. June fruit maturation, May flowering, and July–August seed ripening are reported seasonal guides rather than universal dates. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Fruit and uses ==

Ripe white mulberries are edible. Raw fruit may be sweet or comparatively insipid, while drying can give it a richer flavor. Fruit quality varies among plants, so a named cultivar or selected tree should not be assumed from the common name alone. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

Eat only ripe fruit. Unripe berries and the plant's milky sap carry low-severity toxicity cautions in the horticultural guidance, so avoid treating unripe fruit or sap as food. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

Dropped fruit can stain surfaces, and seedlings may become weedy in some regions. Those management concerns are regional and do not establish a universal invasive status. <sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Photos ==

[[File:Morus alba-leaves.jpg|300px|Morus alba leaf forms.]]

== References ==

* <span id="cite_note-1"></span>[[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/match?name=Morus%20alba GBIF species match: Morus alba].

* <span id="cite_note-2"></span>[[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/morus-alba/ Morus alba (White Mulberry) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox].

* <span id="cite_note-3"></span>[[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Morus+alba Morus alba White Mulberry, Common Mulberry | Plants For A Future].

== Image credits ==

* ''Morus alba - fruit and leaves.jpg'' — subject: Morus alba fruit and leaves in Mexico; creator: Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata; CC BY-SA 4.0; [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Morus_alba_-_fruit_and_leaves.jpg individual file page]. Attribution, license link, and share-alike requirements apply.

* ''Morus alba-leaves.jpg'' — subject: Morus alba leaf forms; creator: Jaknouse; CC BY 3.0; [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Morus_alba-leaves.jpg individual file page]. Attribution and license link are required.