Morus nigra L.

Trees to 10 m tall; monoecious or dioecious. Bark dark brown. Branchlets pale brown pubescent. Stipules lanceolate, membranous, brown pubescent. Petiole 1.5-2.5 cm, pubescent; leaf blade broadly ovate, unlobed, 6-12(-20) × 7-11 cm, thick, abaxially pale green, shortly pubescent, and tomentose, adaxially dark green and coarse, base cordate, margin regularly and coarsely serrate, apex acute to shortly acuminate. Male catkins cylindric, 2-4 cm, pubescent. Female catkins ellipsoid, 2-2.5 cm; peduncle short. Female flowers: style inconspicuous; stigmas without mastoidlike protuberance, 2-branched and pubescent. Syncarp blackish purple when mature, elliptic, 2-2.5 × 1.5-2.5 cm.

It grows in temperate Asia. It will grow on most types of soils. The soils need to be well-drained. The black mulberry will grow in colder places than the white mulberry. In PNG it grows best between 800-2,200 m above sea level. Hobart Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 5-10. Arboretum Tasmania.

The fruit are eaten. They can be eaten raw or preserved. They can be used for jams, jellies, and drinks. The leaves are used for sarma in Turkey. They are rolled around a filling of rice or minced meat.

Plants can be grown from seed but such trees are very slow to grow and produce. It is grown by cuttings of 1-2 year old wood. Larger cuttings make faster growth. Cuttings are taken while trees are dormant in winter. Cuttings should be 1.5-2.5 cm across and 25-35 cm long. They need to be planted in sandy soil to half their depth. Grafted plants can also be used.