Extension Forestry

Red Mulberry - Morus rubra

leaf Leaves  are alternate, simple, lobed with pointed tips.
fruit
Both the red (native) and white mulberry can be found in Iowa. The red mulberry is a medium-sized tree (50 to 70 feet in height) with wide-spreading branches and a broad, rounded head.  It grows over most of Iowa except the northwestern part, usually on the lowlands and in small openings in other timber.

bark The rounded or somewhat heart-shaped leaves vary greatly in outline from unlobed  to lobed or mitten-shaped.  They are thin and hairy above and soft and hairy beneath.  Leaf margins are coarsely toothed.

The berrylike fruit is similar to a blackberry and is sweet and edible.  It is a favorite food of many birds and some animals.
twig
The thin, dark reddish brown bark is not deeply ridged and it peels off in long, narrow flakes.  The wood has an orange-colored heartwood which is heavy, tough and durable.
 
 

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Contact: Paul Wray

Last Update: January, 2001