Publication
from Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide
version 4.0
by C. Orwa, A. Mutua, R. Kindt, R. Jamnadass and S. Anthony
Morus nigra L.
Local Names: Creole (mi);
English (mulberry, small fruited mulberry, black mulberry, black Persian);
French (Murier noir, mûres); German (Schwarzer Maulbeerßaum); Hindi
(tut, shah-tut); Indonesian (murbei); Italian (gelso nero); Javanese
(besaran); Spanish (mora negra, morero, morera negra); Swahili
(mforsadi); Trade name (tut); Vietnamese (dâu tam)
Family: Moraceae
Botanic
Description
Morus nigra is a
deciduous tree, slender but with numerous branches. Grows to 6-9 m in
height, but it tends to be a bush if not trained when young.
Leaves
rough on upper surfaces and pubescent underneath, 7-12.5 cm long, often
producing leaves of several different shapes, with 1 or more lobes,
multilobed leaves often appearing on the same branches as lobeless
ones; abnormally shaped leaves usually produced from stem shoots or
sucker growths, and frequently by very vigorous young branches.
Flowers
held on short, green, pendulous, nondescript catkins that appear in the
axils of the current season’s growth and on spurs on older wood. The
flowers appear in 1.3 cm scaly clusters, female flowers ripening
quickly into 1.3-2.5 cm blackberry-shaped edible fruits.
Botanically,
the fruit is not a berry but a collective fruit; the fleshy bases of
pollinated flowers begin to swell and ultimately become completely
altered in texture and colour, becoming succulent, fat and full of
juice. In appearance, each tiny swollen flower roughly resembles the
individual drupe of a blackberry. The colour of the fruit does not
identify the mulberry species.
It has been suggested that the
generic name of the mulberry, Morus, was derived from the Latin ‘mora’
(delay), from the tardy expansion of the buds. An alternative
explanation is that it comes from the Celtic ‘mor’ (black), referring
to the colour of the fruit. The specific name refers to the dark colour
of the fruit.
Biology
Trees are either dioecious or monoecious, and sometimes will change from one sex to the other. M. nigra
trees do not begin to bear much fruit before 15 years of age. They are
wind pollinated, and some cultivars will set fruit without any
pollination, for example in California, USA. The self-fertile trees
commonly produce 2 crops a year.
M. nigra
trees have been known to bear fruit for hundreds of years, and it is
commonly said that the fruit of the oldest mulberry trees is the best.
Ecology
M. nigra
trees are highly favoured in areas with long hot summers or extended
droughts. A rugged species, M. nigra is fairly resistant to cold but
grows best at lower altitudes when sheltered from wind and in coastal
areas
Biophysical
Limits
Altitude: 0-2 000 m
Soil
type: M. nigra like a warm, well-drained soil, preferably a deep
loam. Shallow soils such as those frequently found on chalk or gravel
are not recommended.
Documented
Species Distribution
Native: Iran
Exotic: Canada, China,
Cuba, Dominican Republic, Germany, Greece, Haiti, India, Italy, Japan,
Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, United Kingdom, US
The
map above shows countries where the species has been planted. It does
neither suggest that the species can be planted in every ecological
zone within that country, nor that the species can not be planted in
other countries than those depicted. Since some tree species are
invasive, you need to follow biosafety procedures that apply to your
planting site.
Products
Food: he purple-black berries
are large and juicy, with a good balance of sweetness and tartness that
makes them the best-flavoured species of the genus. The ripe fruit
contains about 9% sugar, with malic and citric acid. Berries can be
eaten raw or dried, or used in pies, tarts, puddings, conserves, jams,
or sweetened and pureed as a sauce; slightly unripe fruit is best for
pies and tarts. Mulberries blend well with other fruit, especially
pears and apples. The fruit is sometimes pounded to a fine powder and
mixed with the flour for bread.
Fodder: Although inferior to those of M. alba, the leaves of M. nigra
are also used for raising silkworms and have been used as a feed for
domestic rabbits. Both cattle and goats browse the leaves and shoots;
therefore, young saplings need protection.
Fuel: Pruned and dead branches are suitable for firewood.
Fiber: In Japan, a textile fibre is extracted from the bark.
Timber: The wood is a rich
yellow that darkens over time to a rich golden brown. The wood is not
affected by water and, because of its hardness, is used in joinery for
articles subject to wear, for lathe work, and in the manufacture of
barrels, caskets, snuffboxes and cups.
Tannin or
dyestuff: The leaves yield a yellow dye, used mainly for heightening the sheen on silk.
Alcohol: Fruits produce an
alcoholic drink; for example, in Greece they are fermented for this
purpose. In Devonshire, UK, they are sometimes mixed with cider during
fermentation, giving the drink a pleasant taste and deep red colour.
Medicine: The main use of M. nigra
in modern medicine is for the preparation of a syrup obtained from the
ripe fruit employed to flavour or colour other medicines. It is a dark
violet or purple liquid, with a faint odour and a refreshing,
sweet-acid taste. M. nigra leaves are used in pharmacy for their astringent properties. M. nigra
has laxative and antipyretic properties. The bark is a reputed
anthelmintic, used to expel tapeworms. A leaf, flower or root decoction
can be gargled for diabetes; fever, sore throat and swollen vocal
chords are treated with fruit juice. A parasitic fungus, known locally
as ‘meshimakobu’, brown on the outside and yellow inside, grows on the
old stems of mulberry trees on the island of Meshima, Japan, and is
used medicinally there.
Other products: A milky juice
found in all parts of the plant coagulates into a kind of Indian
rubber; it has been thought to give tenacity to the filament spun by
the silkworm.
Services
Shade or shelter: The trees are fairly wind resistant with some cultivars being used as windbreaks.
Ornamental: M. nigra is
especially worth growing for its luxuriant foliage and picturesque
form. Fruitless male trees are the ones most often planted near paved
areas, as the fruit of female trees drops and can cause permanent
stains. Pot cultivation for small indoor plants and bonsai trees is
also popular.
Boundary/barrier/support: When spaced correctly, the species can be planted as a live fence.
Other services: Birds are so fond of the fruit that M. nigra is sometimes planted near more valuable fruit trees, such as cherries, to lure the birds away from the choice crop.
Tree
Management
The tree
can be grown in various forms: as a tall standard with 1.8 m stem, as a
low standard on a 0.9 m stem, as a bush, or as a pyramid-shaped tree.
It can also be fan-trailed against a wall and is a good subject for pot
cultivation. Standard trees require no pruning except for removing dead
wood and thinning branches. Most forms, especially pyramid trees, need
to have the lateral growth shortened to about 6 leaves to form spurs.
Wall trees need to have their branches trained 30 cm apart. It is not
advisable to prune the trees heavily due to the plant’s inclination to
bleed—cuts of more than 5 cm in diameter generally do not heal and
should be avoided. The bleeding will be less severe if the tree is
pruned while it is dormant.
Trees grow very rapidly, need full
sun, adequate space (at least 4.5 m between each tree) and generally
thrive with minimal fertilization. Although somewhat drought resistant,
they need to be watered in the dry season; if the roots become too dry,
the fruit are likely to drop before being fully ripened. Pot trees need
repotting each year before new growth commences.
They are not
easily killed, and careful pruning and cultivation have rejuvenated old
specimens. Broken, undetached branches usually take root if they touch
the ground.
Germplasm
Management
Seed storage behaviour is orthodox; storage in airtight hermetic storage at -20 deg. C is recommended.
Pests and
Diseases
M. nigra is
generally free of pests and diseases, although cankers and die-back can
occur. A white powdery coating on the lower leaf surface is a symptom
of mildew spread by the pathogens Phyllactinia corylea and Uncinula geniculata.
It can be treated with sulphur dust, copper oxychloride, karathane and
imazalil. In some areas, ‘popcorn disease’, in which the fruit swells
to resemble popped corn, is an occasional problem. The disease carries
over from one season to the next, so collecting and burning infected
fruit help control it.
Further
Reading
Anon. 1986. The useful plants of India. Publications & Information Directorate, CSIR, New Delhi, India.
Crane E, Walker P. 1984. Pollination directory for world crops. International Bee Research Association, London, UK.
Hong TD, Linington S, Ellis RH. 1996. Seed storage behaviour: a compendium. Handbooks for Genebanks: No. 4. IPGRI.
Lanzara P. and Pizzetti M. 1978. Simon & Schuster's Guide to Trees. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Mbuya
LP et al. 1994. Useful trees and shrubs for Tanzania: Identification, Propagation and Management for Agricultural and
Pastoral Communities. Regional Soil Conservation Unit (RSCU), Swedish
International Development Authority (SIDA).
Nicholson B.E, Harrison S.G, Masefield G.B & Wallis M. 1969. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press.
Simmons AF. 1972. Growing unusual fruit. David and Charles Limited. Newton Abbot Devon.
Timyan J. 1996. Bwa Yo: important trees of Haiti. South-East Consortium for International Development. Washington D.C.
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