Black Mulberry
Encyclopedia
Morus nigra, the Black mulberry, is a species of mulberry. It is native to southwestern Asia
, where it has been cultivated for so long that its precise natural range is unknown.
tree growing to about 10-13 metres (35-45 ft) tall. The leaves
are about 10-20 centimetres (4-8 in) long and 6-10 centimetres (2½-4 in) broad (up to 23 centimetres or 9 inches long on vigorous shoots), downy on the underside, with the upper surface rough with very short, stiff hairs.
The edible fruit
is dark purple, almost black, when ripe, 2–3 cm (0.78740157480315–1.2 ) long, a compound cluster of several small drupe
s; it is richly flavoured, similar to the red mulberry (Morus rubra) but unlike the more insipid fruit of the white mulberry (Morus alba).
west across much of Europe
, including Ukraine
, and east into China
. Multiple fruits of the black or Persian
mulberry become purplish-black at maturity.
The black (Morus nigra), red, and white (Morus alba) mulberries are all widespread in Pakistan
, Iran
, India
, and Afghanistan
, where the tree and the fruit are known by the Persian
-derived names toot (mulberry) or shahtoot (شاه توت) (king's or "superior" mulberry). Jams and sherbets are often made from the fruit in this region.
The black mulberry was imported into Britain in the 17th century in the hope that it would be useful in the cultivation of silkworms (Bombyx mori). It was unsuccessful because silkworms prefer the white mulberry, but has left a legacy of large and old trees in many country house gardens. Care is needed to prevent the crushed berries from staining carpets in the houses nearby.
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, where it has been cultivated for so long that its precise natural range is unknown.
Description
Morus nigra is a small deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
tree growing to about 10-13 metres (35-45 ft) tall. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are about 10-20 centimetres (4-8 in) long and 6-10 centimetres (2½-4 in) broad (up to 23 centimetres or 9 inches long on vigorous shoots), downy on the underside, with the upper surface rough with very short, stiff hairs.
The edible fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is dark purple, almost black, when ripe, 2–3 cm (0.78740157480315–1.2 ) long, a compound cluster of several small drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
s; it is richly flavoured, similar to the red mulberry (Morus rubra) but unlike the more insipid fruit of the white mulberry (Morus alba).
Cultivation and uses
Black mulberry has long been cultivated for its edible fruit and is planted and often naturalisedNaturalisation (biology)
In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....
west across much of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, including Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, and east into China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Multiple fruits of the black or Persian
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
mulberry become purplish-black at maturity.
The black (Morus nigra), red, and white (Morus alba) mulberries are all widespread in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, where the tree and the fruit are known by the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
-derived names toot (mulberry) or shahtoot (شاه توت) (king's or "superior" mulberry). Jams and sherbets are often made from the fruit in this region.
The black mulberry was imported into Britain in the 17th century in the hope that it would be useful in the cultivation of silkworms (Bombyx mori). It was unsuccessful because silkworms prefer the white mulberry, but has left a legacy of large and old trees in many country house gardens. Care is needed to prevent the crushed berries from staining carpets in the houses nearby.