A catalog of Native North American Plants: Morus rubra

Morus rubra

Common name: Red mulberry

 Morus rubra, commonly known as the red mulberry, is a species of mulberry native to 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. It is a deciduous tree, growing to a size of 50 ft. The leaves are alternate, simple, broadly cordate with a shallow notch at the base. They are typically unlobed on mature trees, but often have 2-3 lobes, particularly on young trees, the texture of the upper surface of the leaves is noticeably rough like the texture of a fine sandpaper. In fall the leaves turn yellow. The flowers are relatively inconspicuous: small, yellowish green or reddish green and opening as leaves emerge. The fruit is a compound cluster of several small achenes surrounded by a fleshy calyx, similar in appearance to a blackberry, and can be eaten raw.

 Dye color: Brown, Green, Yellow