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Morus microphylla
Morus microphylla Buckley
Texas Mulberry, Littleleaf Mulberry, Mountain Mulberry, Mexican Mulberry, Dwarf Mulberry
Moraceae (Mulberry Family)
Synonym(s): Morus confinis, Morus crataegifolia, Morus grisea, Morus radulina
USDA Symbol: MOMI
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Shrub or small tree with smooth, light gray bark. Leaves smaller than those of red and white mulberry; blades up to 2 1/2 inches long, roughly ovate, frequently lobed, with toothed margins, an extended tip, and rounded or slightly lobed base. Flowers inconspicuous, in short, drooping clusters. Fruit a cluster of minute, fleshy, berrylike fruits varying from red to black, ripening in May, edible.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual
Fruit Type: Achene , Aggregate
Size Notes: Up to about 25 feet tall.
Fruit: Syncarps, red, purple or black.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Red , GreenBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May
Distribution
USA: AZ , NM , OK , TXNative Distribution: Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona south through Mexico as far as Costa Rica
Native Habitat: Hillsides, Slopes, Canyons
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Caliche type, Limestone-based, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Igneous
Benefit
Use Ornamental: Attractive, Fruits ornamentalUse Wildlife: Cover, Nesting site, Fruit-mammals, Fruit-birds, Browse
Use Other: One of a number of species whose bark was used to make amate, bark paper.
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Birds
Deer Resistant: No
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FACU | UPL | FACU |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX
Bibliography
Bibref 298 - Field Guide to Texas Trees (1999) Simpson, B.J.Bibref 354 - Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Bibref 297 - Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, Robert A.
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 3 - Flora of North America (2014) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Morus microphylla in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Morus microphylla in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Morus microphylla
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-04-18Research By: TWC Staff