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Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Morus microphylla (Littleleaf mulberry)
Lytle, Melody

Morus microphylla Buckl.

Littleleaf mulberry, Mountain mulberry, Texas mulberry

Moraceae (Mulberry Family)

USDA Symbol: momi

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

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.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual
Fruit Type: Berry
Fruit: Black
Size Class: 12-36 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Green
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM , OK , TX
Native Habitat: Hillsides, Slopes, Canyons
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Caliche type, Limestone-based, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Igneous

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0719 Collected Mar 27,1994 in Comal County by Mary Beth White

Bibliography

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.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Morus microphylla in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Morus microphylla in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Morus microphylla

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-08-31
Research By: TWC Staff

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