| Paper Mulberry is an uncommon exotic small tree of edges and waste areas. Its leaves, like those of Red Mulberry (Morus rubra), are quite variable. The leaves are hairier and rougher than those of Red Mulberry.
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| Young stems and petioles are densely white-hairy. Orange Co., NC 5/7/2011.
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| Paper Mulberry is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are produced on separate trees. Female trees produce bizarre ball-shaped flower clusters. Orange Co., NC 5/7/2011.
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| Orange Co., NC 5/7/2011.
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| Mason Farm, Orange Co., NC 4/20/03.
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| Male trees produce long clusters of flowers in mid-April. Mason Farm, Orange Co., NC 4/20/03.
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| The female flowers mature into even more bizarre red ball-shaped aggregate fruits. Mason Farm, Orange Co., NC 9/30/05.
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| The bark is pale gray and very shallowly ridged.
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| On gnarled large trees, the bark is often quite yellowish at the base.
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More information:
Trees of Alabama and the Southeast
Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas
Virginia Tech Dendrology
Recommended Tree, Shrub, and Woody Vine Identification Guides
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