Morus alba

White mulberry

Family: Moraceae · Type: tree · Not Native

White mulberry is a naturalized tree found in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, Great Valley, and Western Transverse Ranges in disturbed areas, moist soil, and streambanks at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering from March to May, this tree produces white to pink or red-black fruits 1 to 2.5 centimeters long. Growing 10 to 15 meters tall with spreading branches, it has a distinctive growth habit that allows it to thrive in varied landscapes. Its leaves are ovate, 5 to 12 centimeters long, with coarse teeth and occasional shallow lobes, typically glabrous on the underside except in vein axils. The fleshy, color-changing fruits make this tree a notable presence in disturbed ecological settings.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, moist soil, streambanks

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 1300 m

Bioregions: SNF, GV, WTR

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.