Genus Morus, L. (Mulberry)
Leaves - simple; alternate; edge coarsely and somewhat irregularly toothed; or, at times, unequally and very variously two- to three-lobed. Outline - egg shape. Apex - long pointed (when there are side lobes their ends may be rounded). Base - heart-shaped, and more or less one-sided. Leaf - three to seven inches long, rather thin, rough above and downy below, sometimes becoming very smooth. The ribs are very distinct, and whitish below. Bark - grayish, and much broken. Berries - about the size and shape of small blackberries. When ripe they are very dark purple (nearly black), juicy, and sweet. July. Found - from Western New England, westward and southward. General Information - A tree fifteen to twenty-five feet high; in the Middle and Eastern States much larger. It is most common and reaches its finest growth along the lower Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Its wood is valuable, light, and soft, but very durable in contact with the ground. The White Mulberry (M. alba) is sometimes found around old houses and in fields. It was introduced from China, and was formerly cultivated as food for silk-worms. Its leaves resemble those of the Red Mulberry in shape, but are smooth and shining.
Newhall, Charles S. The Trees of North-Eastern America (New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1900) 51
Courtesy the private collection of Roy Winkelman