The Mulberry Tree Explained

The mulberry is a fast-growing deciduous tree or shrub of the genus Morus whose leaves are the only food of the silkworm Bombyx mori and whose sweet, juicy berries are eaten fresh across India. Known as shahtoot, tut or toot in Hindi and Urdu, the mulberry is therefore both a fruit tree and the foundation of mulberry silk production, the most important branch of the Indian silk industry.

This explainer describes the species of mulberry found in India, how the tree and fruit look, the central role of the leaf in sericulture, the fruit’s culinary and nutritional value, and how the tree is cultivated. It also explains how mulberry silk differs from India’s other silks, and it clarifies a few common confusions. It was last updated on 23 October 2026.

Quick Facts

Key Takeaways

• The mulberry is a tree of the genus Morus in the family Moraceae, and its leaves are the exclusive food of the domesticated silkworm Bombyx mori.
• Mulberry silk is the most widely produced silk in India, and the country is among the world’s largest silk producers, alongside China.
• India is the only country that produces all four commercial silks: mulberry, tasar, eri and muga, and the last three are non-mulberry silks.
• The mulberry fruit is a cluster of tiny fleshy drupelets that ripens from green to white, red or deep purple-black, and is sweet and juicy with a short shelf life.
• Silk farmers prune mulberry plants low and harvest the leaves several times a year, so the same plant that bears fruit in the wild is grown mainly for foliage on farms.
• Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir are important mulberry silk regions, supported by the Central Silk Board based in Bengaluru.

What is the mulberry tree?

The mulberry tree is a deciduous tree or large shrub of the genus Morus, belonging to the family Moraceae, which also includes the fig, jackfruit and banyan. It typically grows 5 to 15 metres tall when left alone, with a broad crown and light-coloured bark that becomes furrowed with age. In silk farms it is deliberately cut back to a bush so that tender leaves can be harvested easily.

The leaves are one of the most variable in the plant world. Within a single tree they may be heart-shaped, oval, lobed or deeply divided, with toothed edges and a rough or smooth surface. This variability helps explain why botanists have described many species and varieties, and why classification is still debated.

Mulberry trees produce inconspicuous flowers in drooping catkin-like clusters. Some trees carry only male or only female flowers, while others carry both. The female flower clusters develop into the berries, which are botanically a multiple fruit, formed from many tiny fruits fused together.

Which mulberry species grow in India?

Several Morus species grow in India, including white mulberry (Morus alba), the Himalayan or Indian mulberry (Morus serrata), black mulberry (Morus nigra) and the cultivated types grouped as Morus indica. Each has a distinct role, with some mainly valued for their leaves and others for their fruit.

In north India the long, sweet, pale-green or pinkish fruit sold in spring is called shahtoot, a Persian-origin name that means king’s mulberry. The deep purple fruit of black mulberry is more strongly flavoured, with a balance of sweetness and tartness.

What does the mulberry fruit look like and taste like?

The mulberry fruit looks like a small, soft blackberry, an elongated cluster of tiny fleshy drupelets 1 to 3 centimetres long, and it ripens from green through white or pink and red to purple-black depending on the variety. Ripe fruit is sweet and juicy, sometimes with a slight acidity, and it stains fingers and clothes a deep purple.

The fruit does not travel well. Ripe mulberries are soft, bruise easily, and should be eaten within a day or two of picking, which is why they appear in markets only briefly, often sold in small baskets by roadside vendors. Fruit that falls to the ground is quickly eaten by birds, squirrels and bats, so the tree also supports local wildlife.

Colour does not always track sweetness. White mulberries are often very sweet but mild, whereas dark purple ones usually have more flavour and more pigment. Fruits that are still red are tarter and are sometimes used in drinks, where the acidity is welcome.

How are mulberry leaves used in silk production?

Mulberry leaves are fed to silkworms in sericulture, because Bombyx mori larvae eat mulberry leaves and nothing else in domestic rearing. A silkworm eats leaves continuously for roughly four weeks, grows through five stages (instars), then spins a cocoon from a single continuous protein filament. The cocoon is later processed to unwind the silk thread, and the quality of the leaf strongly influences cocoon quality.

The life cycle of the silkworm

• Egg: the moth lays eggs that are prepared and incubated by silk farms.
• Larva: the hatched caterpillar eats chopped tender leaves first and then whole leaves, moulting several times.
• Cocoon: a mature larva spins a cocoon over about three days using a single filament that can be several hundred metres long.
• Pupa: inside the cocoon the larva transforms; to protect the long filament, cocoons are usually stifled with heat before the moth emerges.
• Reeling: cocoons are softened in hot water and the filaments are drawn out and twisted into raw silk.

Silkworms are sensitive to leaf quality, so growers manage the mulberry garden carefully with irrigation, nutrients and protection against pests such as mealybugs and leaf diseases. The leaf is also affected by pesticides, so farmers must avoid spraying near rearing houses.

What is the mulberry’s role in India’s silk industry?

The mulberry underpins India’s silk industry because mulberry silk makes up the largest share of the country’s raw silk, and India is among the world’s top silk producers. Sericulture is a labour-intensive rural activity that supports many families, including small farmers and women in reeling and weaving work, and it combines agriculture with cottage industry.

The Central Silk Board (CSB), a statutory body set up under the Ministry of Textiles with its headquarters in Bengaluru, promotes research, seed production and development across the sector. States such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir are major mulberry silk producers, with Karnataka long a leader.

India is distinctive because it produces all four commercial silks. Mulberry silk is the soft, fine, white to golden silk used in many of the country’s celebrated sarees, including varieties woven in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

How is the mulberry fruit used in food and health?

Mulberry fruit is eaten fresh, dried, or made into juices, jams, squashes and desserts, and it provides vitamin C, iron, fibre and plant pigments. In north India it is eaten straight from the tree in spring or sold as a seasonal treat. Dried mulberries, popular in the Himalayan regions and in cold-climate trade, are a chewy, sweet snack that stores well.

• Fresh fruit: eaten whole, usually the same day it is picked.
• Dried fruit: sun-dried and sold as a sweet snack or added to trail mixes and sweets.
• Juice and squash: the dark fruit gives a deeply coloured, tangy drink.
• Jam and preserves: the fruit is cooked with sugar; added lemon helps it set.
• Desserts: the berries top yoghurt, ice cream and fruit salads.

Dark mulberries contain anthocyanins, the pigments that give them their colour. Traditional medicine in several Asian systems uses mulberry leaf and fruit for various complaints, and mulberry leaf tea is popular in some countries. Research has examined the leaves’ effect on blood sugar, but evidence in people is still limited, and mulberry should not replace prescribed treatment for diabetes or any other condition.

What other uses does the mulberry tree have?

The mulberry tree has several uses beyond silk and fruit, including fodder, timber and fibre. In hill areas, the leaves are cut and fed to cattle, goats and sheep, especially in the dry season when other green fodder is scarce. The leaves are relatively nutritious and palatable for animals, making the tree valuable for mixed farming.

• Fodder: leaves and tender twigs feed livestock.
• Sports goods: the strong, resilient wood of mulberry trees has traditionally been used for hockey sticks, tennis rackets and similar equipment in northern India.
• Paper and fibre: the inner bark of related species has been used for making paper in parts of Asia.
• Shade and erosion control: the tree grows quickly, shades roads and villages, and its roots help hold soil on slopes.
• Wildlife: birds and small mammals feed on the berries.

How is the mulberry grown?

The mulberry is grown mainly from stem cuttings, which root easily and produce plants true to the parent, although seeds are also used. In sericulture, cuttings are planted in rows at close spacing, and the plants are pruned back regularly so that a fresh flush of tender, nutrient-rich leaves is always available. A well-managed mulberry garden can be productive for many years.

The essentials of mulberry cultivation include:

• Climate: adaptable to warm and temperate climates, but silkworm rearing prefers moderate temperatures and humidity.
• Soil: deep, fertile, well-drained loam is ideal, with a neutral to slightly acidic reaction.
• Water: regular irrigation is needed for good leaf yield, particularly in dry months.
• Pruning: bottom pruning or shoot harvest encourages new growth and keeps the plant at a convenient height.
• Protection: farmers watch for mealybugs, leaf spot and powdery mildew, which reduce leaf quality.

A silk farmer may harvest leaves several times in a year, matching harvests to successive silkworm batches, called crops. Fruit-orchard mulberries, by contrast, are allowed to grow taller and flower so that they produce berries.

Is the mulberry the same as the blackberry or the jamun?

No, the mulberry is a different plant from both the blackberry and the jamun, though all three produce dark, juicy fruit that stains the fingers. The mulberry (Morus) belongs to the fig family and its berry is a cluster of fused fruits borne on a tree. The blackberry (Rubus) belongs to the rose family and grows on thorny canes, while the jamun (Syzygium cumini) belongs to the myrtle family and bears a single-seeded, oval purple fruit.

The easy way to tell mulberry from blackberry is the stem: mulberry fruit has a small green stalk and sits on a tree, while blackberries are held on thorny canes close to the ground. The name mulberry also appears in other contexts, for example the paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera), a related tree whose fruit is not usually eaten.

Why does the mulberry matter for rural livelihoods?

The mulberry matters for rural livelihoods because it links a perennial crop to a quick-return household industry, sericulture, which creates work across several stages from leaf growing to weaving. Farmers grow mulberry on a small plot, rear silkworms in a simple shed, and sell cocoons to reelers, while other families reel, twist, dye and weave the thread into fabric. Because silkworm rearing runs in repeated cycles of a few weeks, income arrives several times a year.

Sericulture is considered attractive for smallholders and women because it needs modest land and no heavy machinery. Government agencies and research institutes supply disease-free silkworm seed, advise on mulberry varieties and organise training. The industry is nevertheless exposed to risks such as disease in silkworm batches, price swings in cocoons and competition from imported silk and synthetic fabrics.

Planting mulberry is also helpful for the environment, because it is a perennial that protects the soil, and the leaf residue and silkworm waste can be composted back into the field. This closed loop is one reason that sericulture is described as a relatively low-input, sustainable form of farming.

Bottom Line

The mulberry is both a sweet seasonal fruit tree and the green backbone of India’s silk industry. Its leaves feed the silkworm that produces the country’s mulberry silk, while its berries, fodder and timber add value to farms and villages.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is mulberry called in Hindi?

Mulberry is called shahtoot, tut or toot in Hindi and Urdu, with shahtoot often used for the long, sweet fruit. The tree belongs to the genus Morus in the family Moraceae. In south India local names such as tuti are common.

Why are mulberry leaves important for silk?

Mulberry leaves are important for silk because the silkworm Bombyx mori eats them exclusively in domestic rearing. The caterpillar feeds for about four weeks and then spins a cocoon from which silk is reeled. Leaf quality directly affects cocoon and silk quality.

Which Indian states produce mulberry silk?

Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir are the main mulberry silk producing regions of India. Karnataka has long been the largest producer. The Central Silk Board in Bengaluru supports research and development for the sector.

Is mulberry fruit good for health?

Mulberry fruit is a good source of vitamin C, iron and fibre, and dark varieties contain anthocyanin pigments. It is a nutritious fruit when eaten fresh or dried in moderation. Claims about treating diseases are not firmly proven, and people with medical conditions should follow their doctor’s advice.

When is mulberry in season in India?

Mulberry is in season from spring to early summer, roughly March to June, depending on altitude and region. The fruit ripens earlier in the plains and later in the hills. Ripe berries spoil within a day or two, so the season for fresh fruit is short.

What is the difference between mulberry silk and other Indian silks?

Mulberry silk comes from silkworms fed on mulberry leaves and is the soft, fine silk that makes up most of India’s raw silk. The other three commercial silks are tasar, eri and muga, which come from wild or semi-wild silkworms fed on other trees. India is the only country that produces all four.

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