black mulberry
Morus nigra
Black mulberry trees are incredibly long-lived compared to other mulberries, and their deep-purple fruits have been cultivated for culinary use since the Roman Empire.
- Scientific name
- Morus nigra
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Rosales › Moraceae › Morus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Temperate deciduous forests, woodlands, traditional orchards, and urban gardens.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- Range
- Southern Europe, Western Asia, Middle East, North America, North Africa
- Size
- 10-15 meters (33-49 feet) tall
- Lifespan
- 100-300 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, urbanization, and susceptibility to fungal pathogens like popcorn disease.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and safe to approach. Enjoy the edible, ripe dark-purple fruits in summer, but be cautious: unripe green fruits and the milky sap can cause mild stomach upset if ingested. The juice stains skin and clothing deeply.
Morus nigra , called black mulberry or blackberry (not to be confused with the blackberries which are various species of Rubus ), is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to southwestern Asia, where it has been cultivated for so long that its precise natural range is unknown. It is known for its large number of chromosomes, as it has 154 pairs (308 individuals). Other mulberry species are sometimes confused with black mulberry, particularly black-fruited...
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