White Mulberry Tree Seeds | (Morus alba)

The tree that built the silk road. Now growing in your yard.

Morus alba, the White Mulberry, is one of the most consequential trees in human history, the sole food plant of the silkworm and the tree whose cultivation drove the entire silk industry that connected China to Rome and shaped the economies of civilizations for over 5,000 years. It also produces prodigious quantities of sweet, mild white to pink-purple berries that ripen over a long season and are consumed by birds, mammals, and humans with equal enthusiasm. Fast-growing, drought-tolerant, and adaptable to conditions that would stress most fruit trees, the White Mulberry earns its place in any productive landscape. If you are looking to buy White Mulberry seeds or grow mulberry trees from seed, this is one of the most productive edible trees you can establish in a warm-climate garden.

• Produces enormous crops of sweet, mild berries relished by birds, wildlife, and humans
• Extremely fast-growing, reaching fruiting size in 3 to 5 years from seed
• Drought-tolerant and adaptable to a wide range of soils and conditions once established
• The sole historical food plant of silkworms, the foundation of 5,000 years of silk production
• Self-fertile, producing fruit without a second tree nearby

Things you probably did not know about the White Mulberry

China kept the secret of silk production under penalty of death for over 2,000 years. The cultivation of silkworms and the process of producing silk from their cocoons was a state secret in China from approximately 2700 BC until the 6th century AD. Anyone caught attempting to smuggle silkworm eggs or White Mulberry seeds out of the country faced execution. The monopoly on silk production was one of the most consequential trade advantages in ancient history. The secret finally escaped when two Nestorian monks allegedly smuggled silkworm eggs out of China in hollow walking staffs around 550 AD.

The berries stain so deeply that silk dyers in medieval Europe used them as a colorant. White Mulberry berries, despite their name, often ripen to pink, lavender, and dark purple, producing juice with strong staining properties. Medieval European dyers used mulberry juice to color cloth and the berries were eaten as a food dye across the ancient world. The staining is persistent enough that handling ripe fruit without care will mark clothing for days.

It was extensively planted across North America in the 19th century to establish a domestic silk industry. Multiple attempts were made in colonial and early American history to establish commercial silk production in North America using White Mulberry. None succeeded on a commercial scale, but the widespread planting of White Mulberry for these ventures naturalized the tree across much of the eastern United States, where it now grows freely along roadsides, forest edges, and disturbed ground.

The fruit ripens over a period of weeks rather than days. White Mulberry does not ripen all at once like an apple or peach. Berries on the same branch ripen progressively over several weeks, which means a single tree provides fruit to birds and wildlife over an extended period rather than a single brief abundance. This sustained production makes it one of the most valuable trees for continuous wildlife support during early summer.

Growing Details

• Botanical Name: Morus alba
• Stratification: Recommended, 30 to 60 days cold stratification
• USDA Zones: 4 to 8
• Soil: Extremely adaptable, tolerates poor, dry, or disturbed soils
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Height: 30 to 50 feet
• Spread: 30 to 40 feet
• Growth Rate: Fast, 2 to 3 feet per year

Plant it where the birds need summer fruit and where you can reach the low branches. Keep a cloth nearby. The berries are worth the stains.