Fruit · Moraceae family
white mulberry
Morus alba
In short a 10-second read
White mulberry (fruit) grows to 9–15.3 m tall and 9–15.3 m wide when mature. It grows best in full sun to part shade, in average soil. It flowers in March–April; the flowers are green. Plant out in October–April. Hardy to −34 °C.
× spread 9–15.3 m
Where to plant
Sun, soil, frost.
It grows best in full sun to part shade, in average soil. Hardy to −34 °C.
Sun
Tolerates several positions — choose to suit the rest of the garden.
Soil and water
average · watering: moderate
Soil: clay, loamy, sandy
Soil pH 5.5–8.5
Frost
It copes with a normal winter outdoors.
How much space it takes
Mature size.
The mature plant next to a person (175 cm).
Next to a person
Reaches maturity in about 20–50 years. The final size depends on the cultivar and the spot — we give the range from smallest to largest.
Calendar
What to do and when.
Months for Central Europe. The line shows the current month.
The year at a glance
Flowers
March–April · green
Pruning
No pruning needed — just remove dead or damaged parts (November–February).
Planting out
container plant: October–April; bare-root: October–March; root-balled: October–March
Winter protection
not needed
Overwintering
It copes with winter on its own.
It overwinters outdoors without protection, hardy to −34 °C.
- Needs no protection
- Hardy to −34 °C
- Deciduous — bare in winter
Frequently asked
Quick answers.
When does white mulberry flower?
In March–April; the flowers are green.
Does white mulberry tolerate shade?
It tolerates part shade (3–6 hours of sun), but not full shade.
How much space does white mulberry need?
At maturity 9–15.3 m wide and 9–15.3 m tall; recommended spacing 600 cm.
Does white mulberry survive winter outdoors?
Yes, without protection, hardy to −34 °C.
Where the data comes from
We compared the data in 18 expert sources. Last checked 17 October 2026.
Show sources (18)
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Morus alba
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Morus alba
- Oregon State University Landscape Plants — Morus alba
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Morus alba
- GBIF Occurrence Search API — Morus alba
- Wikidata (CC0) — Morus alba
- EPPO Global Database — Morus alba
- Záhradníctvo ABIES / dreviny.sk — „Moruša biela | Morus alba"
- RHS - Morus alba
- RHS - Trees and shrubs: planting
- Clemson HGIC - Planting Trees Correctly
- Invasive plant lists — this species is not on them: EASIN, EU, Slovakia, Czechia, Germany, Poland, Denmark
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