Morus alba

A moderately intolerant tree that grows on a variety of well drained, rich soils. It requires a precipitation zone of 750 to 1250 mm/yr or more, and prefers a semi-arid, cool to cold subalpine temperate, sub-tropical winter/monsoon, climate with a temperature range of -10 to 40 C at elevations up to 3300 m.

It will coppice easily, can be grown in mixed stands, is frost hardy, and can tolerate hot draughty conditions if irrigated. It has numerous insects and pest enemies including porcupines, defoliators, powdery mildew, root rots, and die back.

A medium sized, deciduous tree, 9 to 15 m tall and diameters of 0.6 to 0.8 m. The crown is spreading and rounded.

Leaves The leaves are simple, but varied in shape, 5 to 15 cm long and 4 to 12 cm wide.

Bark The  bark is dark grayish brown with vertical ridges or fissures.

Flowers It is monecious. The male flowers are in 1 to 2 cm long catkin like bunches. The female flower., are in solitary, rounded heads 0.5 to 1 cm in diameter. The flowers are greenish appearing between February and April.

Fruit The fruit is a berry containing 5 to 15 small seeds, 0.7 to 1 cm long. The berries are white to pinkish to purple to red to black. The fruiting period is between March and June.

Reproduction It is reproduced both from seed and by vegetative means. Insecticide treated seed can be stored.

Growth It grows very fast and MAL of 5 to 8.5 ml/ha/yr is not uncommon. diameters of 60 cm are recorded for 15 year old trees.