Texas mulberry, Mexican mulberry
Morus microphylla
Family: Moraceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It grows 6 m high. The trunk is 20 cm across. The leaves are small and glossy green. They are in 2 rows and are 2.5-6 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. The leaves usually have 2-5 lobes. The leaves have coarse teeth. They are dark green above and paler and softly hairy underneath. The flowers are very small and green. They are crowded in small clusters 10-19 mm long. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. The fruit is a rounded berry. It is 12 mm long. It is dark purple when ripe. The fruit are sweet and edible.
There are about 16 Morus species.
Where it is found
It grows in moist soils, usually along streams. In the southern USA it grows between 300-1800 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
Countries/locations it is found in
Central America, Mexico, North America, USA
How it is used for food
The fruit are eaten fresh and also pressed into pulpy cakes and dried and stored.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Mountain mulberry, Western mulberry