tree of the month Belfast Botanic Gardens

Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens

Tree of the month series - this series of short articles about trees in the Belfast Botanic Gardens is compiled by members of the Friends group and Gardens staff. We aim to build up to a comprehensive archive of trees in Belfast Botanic Gardens. Each article will illustrate a tree growing in Belfast Botanic Gardens together with information from a range of sources. Where possible we will give the tree tag number - these are the little aluminium discs, usually fixed 2 to 3m high on the tree trunk

Click here to view the tree archive

Tag 311.

Tree of the Month, August 2011

Morus alba 'Platanifolia'

White Mulberry (large-leaved form)

Jon Pilcher

This young mulberry is a large-leaved variety of white mulberry. The shiny leaves distinguish it from both the common or black mulberry (Morus nigra) and the red mulberry (Morus rubra). The white mulberry is the traditional food plant of the silkworm catapillar and was brought to Britain from China about 400 years ago. The white mulberry is a fast growing small tree. The fruit is edible but rather bland. There is a detailed description with some medical information in the Wikipedia article.


Young white mulberry in Belfast Botanic Gardens	White mulberry leaf

Fruit of white mulberry	Fruit and leaf stalk of white mulberry