Littleleaf Mulberry
Morus microphylla
Family: Moraceae
OTHER NAMES
Texas mulberry
Spanish: Mora
CHARACTERISTICS
This is most often a large deciduous shrub, but with the right conditions can become a tree, often about 20’ high x 15’ wide. Taller trees of this species are sometimes found, especially in riparian regions. This species is dioecious (separate female and male plants). Flowers appear in March and April and orange to red fruits ripen quickly and are ready by May. If you intend on having fruits, you need to have both a male and female plant—the females form the fruits. Plant nurseries don’t yet readily offer sexed plants (they tend to bloom as larger 15 gallon sized plants). But we are working on propagating sexed plants.
LANDSCAPE USE
Best as a shrub in most low-desert landscapes. Great screen.
GROWING CONDITIONS
AN EXPLANAITION OF TERMS USED
SUN full sun to light shade
WATER moderate to regular
SOIL not picky, but well-drained
HARDINESS hardy to -10°F
BASIN middle to low zone
CONTAINER tolerates containers
NUTRITION moderate, feed annually if you want more fruit
MAINTENANCE very little
ECOLOGY
Morus species act as a larval host of Nymphalis antiopa “Mourning Cloak” butterflies. Birds and mammals love the fruits.
ETHNOBOTANY
One of a number of species whose bark was used to make amate, bark paper. Berries eaten raw, dried and used as a spread, or pressed into pulpy cakes, dried and stored. Twigs split in half lengthwise to make baskets.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Found on hillsides, slopes, in canyons from 3,500-5,000 ft. in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, south into northern Mexico.
TAXONOMY AND NAME
This species is in the Moraceae, the mulberry family. There are 20 species of Morus with a worldwide distribution.
Morus is the classical Latin name for mulberry, microphylla refers to being small-leaved (compared to other species of mulberries).
The fruit. Photo by Eugene Sturla, SEINET
Most plants in our region have simple leaves, though as plants get more established and if they are well-watered they will become more lobed/divided. Photo by Sam Kieschnick, iNaturalist
Leaves on mature, well-watered plants can grow into their full, divided/lobed leaves. Photo by Sue Carnahan, SEINET
In xeric sites, plants may be smaller, bushy plants. With extra water and protection, they become much larger. Photo by Steve Jones, iNaturalist