Texas mulberry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Texas mulberry |
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The Texas mulberry (Morus celtidifolia) is a plant that grows naturally in many parts of the Americas. You can find it from South America, through Central America and Mexico, all the way up to the southwestern United States. This includes states like Arizona and Oklahoma.
This plant often grows in canyons and on hillsides. It likes to be near streams, usually at high elevations, from about 650 to 7,200 feet (200 to 2,200 meters) above sea level. Sometimes, people used to call it "Morus microphylla". However, scientists have now found that Morus celtidifolia is the correct and older name for this species.
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What the Texas Mulberry Looks Like
The Texas mulberry can be a shrub or a small tree. It can grow up to about 25 feet (7.5 meters) tall.
Leaves and Size
Its leaves are much smaller than those of other mulberry trees found in the United States. For example, the leaves are smaller than those on the white mulberry (M. alba) or the red mulberry (Morus rubra). A Texas mulberry leaf is usually less than 3 inches (7 centimeters) long.
Edible Fruits and Their Uses
The Texas mulberry produces fruits that you can eat. These fruits can be red, purple, or almost black when they are ripe.
Who Eats the Fruit?
Many wild animals enjoy eating these berries. In the past, Native American people also ate them. The fruits were an important food source for them.
A Historical Journey
Long ago, probably even before recorded history, the Havasupai people helped spread this plant. They brought the Texas mulberry to the Grand Canyon, where it still grows today.
