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A Forager’s Year

No. 36

Plant of the month: June

White mulberry

Morus alba

Fruit ripe fruit

Drawing: Britton & Brown, Illustrated Flora (1913)

Find
Everywhere
Effort
Grab & eat
ID risk
Beginner
Origin
non-native ★
Safety marks
  • Toxic parts
  • Spray risk
Uses
  • Eat raw / salad
  • Baking & desserts
  • Jam & jelly
  • Syrup & cordial
  • Dried fruit & leather

Season

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

in season peak

What these mean

Find

1 Everywhere · 2 Common in the right habitat · 3 Patchy · 4 Elusive. This is about how much there is, not whether you may pick it. It is based on iNaturalist sightings within 25 km (about 15 miles) of downtown DC, counted on October 3, 2026. The four rules that each plant’s “Find” reason refers to: (A) the estimate is the confirmed sightings, plus the unconfirmed ones (scaled down where the plant has lookalikes in its genus), plus the sightings marked as planted; (B) the tier by estimate: 1,500 or more is tier 1, 250–1,499 tier 2, 50–249 tier 3, under 50 tier 4; (C) tier 1, Everywhere, also needs a source saying the plant is common in lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots or towns, or at least one DC street tree of it per km of sidewalk, otherwise it is tier 2; (D) if a reliable source says the plant is rare in this region, or that wild plants rarely bear the harvest, only planted sightings count. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Effort

1 Grab & eat · 2 Quick kitchen prep (under about 30 minutes) · 3 Real work (hours, or cooking needed for safety) · 4 Project (days or equipment). Scored on the simplest worthwhile use; each plant’s page says why.

ID risk

How hard it is to harvest safely. Beginner: no dangerous lookalike, and the edible part is not easily confused with a toxic part. Careful: a toxic lookalike, or toxic parts that end up in the harvest unless removed (for example elderberry stems, unripe ground cherries), or other parts of the plant rated medium-or-higher toxicity, with reliable features to separate them. Expert only: a potentially deadly lookalike that is hard to separate, or (for not-recommended harvests like pokeweed) a plant whose safe preparation can’t be guaranteed. Toxic parts that are obviously separate and thrown away anyway (pits, seeds, skins) don’t raise it; the Toxic parts mark carries that warning.

Native or not, and the invader stars

Origin is where the plant comes from: native, non-native, or mixed (the harvest covers both). The stars rate plants on invasive plant lists: ★★★ Virginia DCR “High” or Maryland prohibited invasive · ★★ Virginia “Medium” · ★ Virginia “Low” · ☆ listed only by the Maryland Invasive Species Council or the Mid-Atlantic Plant Invaders guide (advisory) · no stars: native or not listed.

Safety marks and flags

Deadly lookalike / Toxic lookalike: a cited source names a lookalike of that danger. Deadly means a source says eating it may be fatal or calls it deadly, or NC State rates it high severity with life-threatening symptoms (sources sometimes disagree; for example Virginia creeper). Each plant’s Lookalikes list says how to tell them apart; “harmless (may be edible)” lookalikes are listed so you know a mix-up isn’t dangerous. Cook first: cooking is needed for safety (for daylilies it is a precaution, not a sourced requirement). Eat in moderation: a source says to limit quantity or frequency (for example oxalates in sorrels and dock, ginkgotoxin, safrole). Spray risk: a source says the plant is commonly treated with herbicide in parks or lawns (invasive control, lawn weeds) or, for ginkgo, sprayed to stop fruiting. Contamination: a source says the plant concentrates pollutants. Each plant’s Safety flags list gives the details and sources.

Seasons

Start, peak and end are given in thirds of a month: early, mid or late. A plant counts as in season for a month if it is in season at any point in that month. Some greens and roots have a second window, in spring or fall; their page shows each window. A season that runs across New Year is shown as one window.

What it looks like

A fast-growing Asian tree with glossy, variably lobed leaves. The fruit looks like a small blackberry and, despite the name, ripens white, pink, lavender, red or purple-black depending on the tree. Flavor varies a lot from tree to tree: some are very sweet, others dry and tasteless (Ohio State).

Safety

Eat only fully ripe fruit. Unripe berries and the milky sap found in every part of the tree are mildly toxic and can cause stomach upset and hallucinations (NC State; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center). The sap can also irritate skin. Wash the fruit, because trees over sidewalks and roads collect grime. NC State adds that the milky latex in the leaves and young shoots is mildly toxic.

Safety flags

  • Handling hazard (minor)

    irritant sap/pulp: NC State’s white mulberry page says no contact dermatitis, but its red mulberry page lists dermatitis from the same milky sap, and the two hybridize freely around DC, so treat the sap as a possible minor irritant.

  • Spray risk

    Listed invasive (Virginia DCR, low rank). UMD Extension recommends cutting mature trees and immediately treating stumps with herbicide, or foliar spraying saplings. Most treatment kills or removes the tree, so the residue risk to fruit you can actually pick is lower than for sprayed ground plants.

  • Toxic parts

    NC State lists unripe fruit, leaves, stems and the milky latex as low-toxicity parts (stomach upset, hallucinations).

Safety marks and flags: what this means

Deadly lookalike / Toxic lookalike: a cited source names a lookalike of that danger. Deadly means a source says eating it may be fatal or calls it deadly, or NC State rates it high severity with life-threatening symptoms (sources sometimes disagree; for example Virginia creeper). Each plant’s Lookalikes list says how to tell them apart; “harmless (may be edible)” lookalikes are listed so you know a mix-up isn’t dangerous. Cook first: cooking is needed for safety (for daylilies it is a precaution, not a sourced requirement). Eat in moderation: a source says to limit quantity or frequency (for example oxalates in sorrels and dock, ginkgotoxin, safrole). Spray risk: a source says the plant is commonly treated with herbicide in parks or lawns (invasive control, lawn weeds) or, for ginkgo, sprayed to stop fruiting. Contamination: a source says the plant concentrates pollutants. Each plant’s Safety flags list gives the details and sources.

ID risk
Beginner
Why
No dangerous lookalike. Ripe fruit can be white, pink or purple, so judge ripeness by softness rather than color; unripe fruit is only mildly toxic.
Handling hazards
Irritant sap/pulp (minor)
Soil risk
low
ID risk: what this means

How hard it is to harvest safely. Beginner: no dangerous lookalike, and the edible part is not easily confused with a toxic part. Careful: a toxic lookalike, or toxic parts that end up in the harvest unless removed (for example elderberry stems, unripe ground cherries), or other parts of the plant rated medium-or-higher toxicity, with reliable features to separate them. Expert only: a potentially deadly lookalike that is hard to separate, or (for not-recommended harvests like pokeweed) a plant whose safe preparation can’t be guaranteed. Toxic parts that are obviously separate and thrown away anyway (pits, seeds, skins) don’t raise it; the Toxic parts mark carries that warning.

Handling hazards: what this means

Stings, thorns, irritating or phototoxic sap, staining hulls and spiny husks, with a severity: minor = brief discomfort; moderate = rash or blisters lasting days; serious = burns, scarring or medical care possible.

Soil risk: what this means

Based on the part you eat, following the urban-soil lead guidance on the Field safety page: higher for greens, shoots and roots; moderate for flowers; low for fruit, nuts and sap.

Field safety for every outing (poison ivy, ticks, soil, and more)

When to pick

Starts
mid May
Peak
late May–mid Jun
Ends
late Jun

June is the main month in Maryland (Natural History Society of Maryland; Hyattsville Wire), and NC State says the fruit matures in June. Some years run early: in 2024 the Route 1 corridor season started before June (Hyattsville Wire). Around DC, iNaturalist photos show the first fully colored fruit in mid-May and the most fruit from late May to mid-June, with few records after mid-June. Fruit color varies by tree, so judge ripeness by plumpness, full color for that tree, and how easily the fruit drops, not by darkness. Avoid bright red or green berries (Natural History Society of Maryland).

How the dates were worked out

Every start, peak and end was re-checked in October 2026. “Sourced” means a source opened during the check states that timing for the DC or Mid-Atlantic area. “Estimated” means no source states it exactly; the reason, the evidence and the source links are under “How the dates were worked out” on each plant’s page. Peaks are often estimated, because few sources name a peak. iNaturalist evidence means research-grade sightings near DC, by month, of the plant at that stage (for example, in fruit). iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Season basis: estimated: start, peak, end

Start

estimated: Maryland sources say June; the mid-May start reflects early trees and early years seen in local photos.

Peak

estimated: Sources say June while local records peak in late May; the peak range spans both.

End

estimated: No source gives an end date. Late June closes the June season the Maryland sources describe; the lone early-July record is a straggler.

Evidence

start: iNaturalist photos of Morus alba within 60 km of DC (research grade, fruiting) show the first fully dark fruit on May 14 and May 18; DC fruiting records rise from week 19 (May 7-13). Hyattsville Wire (2024): mulberries 'generally ripen in June, although they came a little earlier this year'. | peak: NC State: fruits 'mature in June'. Natural History Society of Maryland: season 'tends to be in June'. iNaturalist MD/VA/DC Morus alba fruiting records peak in weeks 20-22 (May 14-Jun 3: 15, 18, 21). | end: Maryland sources describe a June season (Natural History Society of Maryland; Hyattsville Wire). iNaturalist MD/VA/DC Morus alba fruiting records by third of the month (days 1-10, 11-20, 21-end): June 16/2/0 (the mid-June records are Jun 13 and Jun 17), then a single record on Jul 3.

Where to look

Look for purple-stained pavement along streets and sidewalks, fence rows and trail edges; it is logged most in Rock Creek Park, along Four Mile Run and on the Mount Vernon Trail, all no-picking, so ask owners of yard trees or try Virginia state parks.

Habitats
woods edges, trailsides & thickets
Habitats: what this means

Listed where the plant’s own sources place it in that habitat. “Disturbed ground & waste places” means a cited source places it on disturbed areas, sites, soil or ground, on waste places or waste ground, on construction or abandoned building sites (old home sites count), on rubble or in strip mines. When the source gives examples of the disturbed places, at least one example must be of that kind. Examples that do not count: natural or forestry disturbance (treefall gaps, fire, windthrow, flood scour, old riverbanks and creeks, clear-cuts); roadsides, railroads and rights-of-way; and abandoned fields, pastures and farmland, which are “Old fields & meadows”. “Vacant lots” only where a source says vacant or empty lots.

Most-logged places

None of the most-logged places allows picking.

No picking here (5 places)
  • Rock Creek Park

    38 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: Rock Creek Park’s compendium bans gathering any fruit, nut, berry, seed or greenery.

  • Four Mile Run stream valley (Arlington/Alexandria)

    26 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: Arlington County park rules (flora shall not be removed or disturbed) and Alexandria’s permit rule both apply.

  • Mount Vernon Trail

    23 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: GW Memorial Parkway sites (incl. Great Falls VA, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Dyke Marsh) designate nothing for gathering.

  • Huntley Meadows Park

    20 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: Fairfax County parks ban removing any plant part without written permission.

  • Glencarlyn Park

    15 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: Arlington County park rules say flora shall not be removed or disturbed.

Most-logged places: what this means

The places with the most research-grade iNaturalist sightings within 25 km of downtown DC (re-counted in October 2026 over every named place, campuses, condominiums and private grounds included), each marked legal to pick or not. A sighting inside several named places counts once, for the smallest of them, but a sighting inside a National Park Service park never counts for a private, campus or unchecked place. iNaturalist shows where people walk and log plants, not true abundance. Private campuses, condominiums, museums, estates and utility land (Pepco’s power-line land near Sligo Creek) are marked “no” (pick only with the owner’s permission); public university campuses, city parks and other places whose picking rules were not checked (county stormwater land, the U.S. Capitol Grounds, Greenbelt’s North Woods, federal facilities such as the National Zoo) are “unknown”. A place needs at least 2 sightings, so plants with very few sightings (rugosa rose) have no places. No most-logged places are named for at-risk plants (ramps, chinquapin, American chestnut); chinquapin’s page names Mason Neck State Park, where picking is legal, and asks you to leave most nuts. For some places, mostly Rock Creek Park, the iNaturalist map shows more sightings than the count here, because a map link cannot leave out exactly the sightings credited to another place. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Ways to use it

  • eat fresh within a day of picking
  • jam, jelly, pies, tarts and cobblers
  • syrup
  • freeze, or dry and use like raisins in breads, cookies or puddings (NC State)
  • shake onto a tarp to harvest

Keeping

Freeze, dry or cook them the day you pick them, because they last only about a day.

Use within
pick & use same day
Keeps fresh
Eat within a day of picking (Hyattsville Wire; NHSM says that day or the next). Refrigerate unwashed in a single layer if you must hold them.
Canning
lab-tested: jelly, whole berries (NCHFP)
Keeping basis
specific to this plant

Ways to keep it

  • Can as researched: can (water bath); canning: lab-tested: whole berries (NCHFP)

    Mulberries are on NCHFP’s tested 'Berries - Whole' boiling-water list.

  • Dry as researched: dry/dehydrate; canning: n/a (not shelf-canned)

    Dried fruit can be used like raisins in bread, cookies or puddings (NC State).

  • Freeze as researched: freeze; canning: n/a (not shelf-canned)

    Tray-freeze, then bag (NCHFP tray pack); best quality for about 8-12 months at 0°F.

  • Jam/jelly as researched: jam/jelly; canning: lab-tested: jelly (NCHFP)

    NCHFP’s tested mulberry jelly (powdered pectin, boiling-water canner); jam and pies also work.

Canning: what this means

Shelf-stable canning, three levels. Lab-tested: a lab-tested recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) or Oregon State covers this fruit and product, or a generic recipe for its kind (the line says so, for example chokeberry). Extension recipe: a published Extension recipe (University of Alaska Fairbanks, written for Alaska species; University of Maine’s dandelion jelly), or a process that is safe only with a pH meter; follow it exactly, never improvise. No tested recipe: refrigerate or freeze, don’t can. “Hot-bottled syrup” = maple and walnut syrup, which keep when bottled hot at full syrup density. The Canning line names the exact product each source covers, for example “whole berries” or “juice”; a product not named there (such as juice from a berry with only a whole-berry recipe) has no tested recipe.

Keeping basis: what this means

“Specific to this plant” or “general guidance for its type” (for example NCHFP guidance for leafy greens applied to a wild green).

Nutrition

How much of a day’s needs one standard serving (140 g) provides, using the FDA’s daily values and serving sizes. The FDA calls 20% or more “high” and 10–19% a “good source”. Every figure below is listed with its source; where the sources disagree, all of them are shown and no conclusion is drawn.

Vitamin C: the analyses differ

Basis inferred by AI for: Akin et al. 2016; Balık et al. 2019; Gundogdu et al. 2018.

  • Eyduran et al. 2015: 28% and 21% of daily value (2 figures in this study)

    Recorded: 18.22 mg (per 100 g fresh weight). Sample: Morus alba genotype 76-IGD-4, a single wild tree in its natural growing area, Melekli district, Igdir province, Aras valley, eastern Anatolia, Turkey (856 m); 100 berries at commercial ripe stage; stored at -20 °C; year not stated Working: 18.22 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 25.508 mg; daily value 90 mg; 28%.

    Recorded: 13.4 mg (per 100 g fresh weight). Sample: Morus alba genotype 76-IGD-5, a single wild tree in its natural growing area, Melekli district, Igdir province, Aras valley, eastern Anatolia, Turkey (856 m); 100 berries at commercial ripe stage; stored at -20 °C; year not stated Working: 13.4 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 18.76 mg; daily value 90 mg; 21%.

    Organic acids, sugars, vitamin C, antioxidant capacity, and phenolic compounds in fruits of white (Morus alba L.) and black (Morus nigra L.) mulberry genotypes

  • Gundogdu et al. 2011: 38% of daily value

    Sample: White mulberry (Morus alba), fruit grown in Van province, eastern Turkey; homogeneous samples collected at harvest; about 200 g; stored at -20 °C; year and wild/cultivated not stated

    Recorded: 24.422 mg (per 100 g fresh weight). Working: 24.422 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 34.1908 mg; daily value 90 mg; 38%.

    Determination of fruit chemical properties of Morus nigra L., Morus alba L. and Morus rubra L. by HPLC

  • Gundogdu et al. 2018: 47%, 47%, 41% and 40% of daily value (4 figures in this study)

    Recorded: 30.2 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh basis implied; not stated in the table)). Sample: Morus alba genotype 30HK01, grown in the Hakkari region, eastern Anatolia, Turkey; harvested 2014 at full ripeness; wild or planted not stated Working: 30.2 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 42.28 mg; daily value 90 mg; 47%.

    Recorded: 30.45 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh basis implied; not stated in the table)). Sample: Morus alba genotype 30HK02, grown in the Hakkari region, eastern Anatolia, Turkey; harvested 2014 at full ripeness; wild or planted not stated Working: 30.45 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 42.63 mg; daily value 90 mg; 47%.

    Recorded: 26.09 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh basis implied; not stated in the table)). Sample: Morus alba genotype 30HK03, grown in the Hakkari region, eastern Anatolia, Turkey; harvested 2014 at full ripeness; wild or planted not stated Working: 26.09 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 36.526 mg; daily value 90 mg; 41%.

    Recorded: 25.51 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh basis implied; not stated in the table)). Sample: Morus alba genotype 30HK04, grown in the Hakkari region, eastern Anatolia, Turkey; harvested 2014 at full ripeness; wild or planted not stated Working: 25.51 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 35.714 mg; daily value 90 mg; 40%.

    Antioxidant Capacity and Bioactive Contents of Mulberry Species from Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey

  • Iqbal et al. 2010: 39% of daily value

    Sample: 'White Mulberry (Morus alba)', fruit from the orchard of a grower in village Tapi, Miran Shah, North Waziristan, Pakistan, 2007; fresh samples; replicates not stated in the extract read

    Recorded: 25.2 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh samples; 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol titration)). Working: 25.2 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 35.28 mg; daily value 90 mg; 39%.

    Physico-chemical characteristics of different mulberry cultivars grown under agro-climatic conditions of Miran Shah, North Waziristan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan

  • Akin et al. 2016: 26% of daily value

    Sample: Wild white mulberry (Morus alba), villages Bülbüllü and Nefsipiraziz, Giresun province, Black Sea region of northeastern Turkey; collected summer 2013; number of trees not stated

    Recorded: 16.686 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh basis implied, not stated in the table)). Working: 16.686 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 23.3604 mg; daily value 90 mg; 26%.

    Phytochemical profiles of wild grown blackberry and mulberry in Turkey

  • Balık et al. 2019: 7%, 7%, 4%, 8% and 10% of daily value (5 figures in this study)

    Recorded: 4.41 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh fruit sample, HPLC); fresh basis implied). Sample: Morus alba genotype 'M. alba 1', indigenous (naturally grown) tree, Varto district, Muş province, eastern Anatolia, Turkey; fully ripe fruit harvested in the last week of June 2016; about 500 g per genotype; stored at -80 °C Working: 4.41 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 6.174 mg; daily value 90 mg; 7%.

    Recorded: 4.47 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh fruit sample, HPLC); fresh basis implied). Sample: Morus alba genotype 'M. alba 2', indigenous (naturally grown) tree, Varto district, Muş province, eastern Anatolia, Turkey; fully ripe fruit harvested in the last week of June 2016; about 500 g per genotype; stored at -80 °C Working: 4.47 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 6.258 mg; daily value 90 mg; 7%.

    Recorded: 2.45 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh fruit sample, HPLC); fresh basis implied). Sample: Morus alba genotype 'M. alba 3', indigenous (naturally grown) tree, Varto district, Muş province, eastern Anatolia, Turkey; fully ripe fruit harvested in the last week of June 2016; about 500 g per genotype; stored at -80 °C Working: 2.45 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 3.43 mg; daily value 90 mg; 4%.

    Recorded: 4.93 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh fruit sample, HPLC); fresh basis implied). Sample: Morus alba genotype 'M. alba 4', indigenous (naturally grown) tree, Varto district, Muş province, eastern Anatolia, Turkey; fully ripe fruit harvested in the last week of June 2016; about 500 g per genotype; stored at -80 °C Working: 4.93 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 6.902 mg; daily value 90 mg; 8%.

    Recorded: 6.56 mg (per 100 g fruit (fresh fruit sample, HPLC); fresh basis implied). Sample: Morus alba genotype 'M. alba 5', indigenous (naturally grown) tree, Varto district, Muş province, eastern Anatolia, Turkey; fully ripe fruit harvested in the last week of June 2016; about 500 g per genotype; stored at -80 °C Working: 6.56 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 9.184 mg; daily value 90 mg; 10%.

    Diversity of biochemical content in fruits of some indigenous mulberry genotypes

Figures left out, and why (29 studies; 24 with no figure used)

The calendar counts a study with no figure used here when one of its vitamin, mineral or dietary fiber figures was left out as a dried sample, another part, or for an unclear species, part or basis; figures given per amount of juice are not counted.

  • Imran et al. 2010 (counted in the calendar): ash has no FDA daily value; crude fiber is a different measure from dietary fiber, the FDA daily value is for dietary fiber; no FDA daily value; not measured in the cited work: by difference: 'The amount of total carbohydrates was obtained by the difference between weight of the sample taken and sum of its moisture, ash, total lipid, protein, and fibre contents' (Imran et al. 2010, methods); fiber excluded, so not the same quantity as USDA 'carbohydrate, by difference'; not measured in the cited work: calculated: 'The calorific value was calculated by multiplying the values of total carbohydrate, lipid, and protein with the factors 4, 9, and 4' (Imran et al. 2010, methods); protein: the FDA percent daily value for protein must be corrected for protein quality (PDCAAS, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(ii)), which this analysis does not report; species, part or state not clear: basis (fresh vs dry) not stated; magnitudes far above other mulberry data; species, part or state not clear: basis not stated; implausibly high; species, part or state not clear: basis not stated; note the abstract gives Mg range (24±3.51)-(360±4.20) while the text says 240; species, part or state not clear: computed energy; labeled dry weight but value looks like fresh weight; species, part or state not clear: crude fiber method; labeled dry weight but values look like fresh weight; species, part or state not clear: labeled dry weight but values look like fresh weight; basis cannot be trusted; species, part or state not clear: labeled dry weight, but with 81.72% moisture these values look like fresh-weight values; basis cannot be trusted; species, part or state not clear: species and part match, but the state does not: analyzed on dried fruit and expressed per fresh weight by the authors; not a clean raw/fresh value (vitamin C is lost on drying); total fat has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
  • Liang et al. 2012 (counted in the calendar): minerals per 100 g dry weight; no FDA daily value; protein: the FDA percent daily value for protein must be corrected for protein quality (PDCAAS, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(ii)), which this analysis does not report; species, part or state not clear: basis (fresh vs dry) not stated; species, part or state not clear: basis stated as dry weight (dextrose equivalents) but doubtful; assay is not a standard total-sugars measure; total fat has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
  • Chen et al. 2022 (counted in the calendar): round-1 source without a basis/part call; species, part or state not clear: species attribution disputed: all 25 samples contain anthocyanins (Table 3; C3G 0.656-4.367 mg/g), i.e. dark-fruited sericulture varieties, and 'Zhongsang 5801', 'Dashi' and 'Jushensang' are the cultivars Liang et al. 2012 assign to Morus atropurpurea; 'Morus alba' here is the authors' umbrella usage, not established as the white mulberry of the dataset; the amount is a range across samples, not one figure
  • King & McClure 1944 (counted in the calendar): crude fiber is a different measure from dietary fiber, the FDA daily value is for dietary fiber; no FDA daily value; percent of dry matter only; protein: the FDA percent daily value for protein must be corrected for protein quality (PDCAAS, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(ii)), which this analysis does not report; species, part or state not clear: species not given ('Morus sp.'); could be Morus alba, M. rubra or a hybrid; total fat has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
  • Uyak et al. 2024: analyzed through a juice of the fruit, given per weight of fruit: per 100 g fruit (squeezed, filtered juice of homogenized fresh fruit; ascorbic acid test-strip kit read on a reflectometer); fresh basis implied; the amount is a range across samples, not one figure
  • Coyago-Cruz et al. 2023 (counted in the calendar): dry or dried basis: per 100 g dry weight (freeze-dried edible part); reported as 'nd' (not detectable); dry or dried basis: per 100 g dry weight; cell left blank in the table (no value reported); no FDA daily value; no amount given; reported as not detectable
  • Saeed et al. 2023 (counted in the calendar): dry or dried basis: per 100 g dry weight
  • Negro et al. 2019: analyzed through a juice of the fruit, given per weight of fruit: per 100 g fresh weight (juice obtained by centrifugation; enzymatic kit); no FDA daily value
  • Sánchez et al. 2014: analyzed through a juice of the fruit, given per weight of fruit: per 100 g (juice-based HPLC analysis of fresh fruit; fresh basis implied); crude fiber is a different measure from dietary fiber, the FDA daily value is for dietary fiber; dry or dried basis: per 100 g dry weight; no FDA daily value
  • Ali Redha et al. 2023 (counted in the calendar): dry or dried basis: dry weight; unit as printed would mean 45% fat, which is impossible for mulberry, so the unit is probably g/100 g DW; dry or dried basis: per 100 g (dry powder; dry basis inferred by AI); flagged implausible; species, part or state not clear: Table 2 says only 'mg/100 g'; the samples were analyzed as dried powder, so the values are presumably per 100 g dry weight (inference). Several values are implausibly high for mulberry even on a dry basis (K 4358.66, Na 960.19, Fe 31.06 mg/100 g), so treat with caution.; species, part or state not clear: Table 2 says only 'mg/100 g'; the samples were analyzed as dried powder, so the values are presumably per 100 g dry weight (inference). Several values are implausibly high for mulberry even on a dry basis (K 4358.66, Na 960.19, Fe 31.06 mg/100 g), so treat with caution. The white-mulberry K and Ca values continue on the next line ('36.11', '3.15' are their standard errors).; species, part or state not clear: Unit error suspected; not converted. Fatty-acid profile in the same table not collected.; total fat has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
  • Eyduran et al. 2015 (other figures from this study are used above): no FDA daily value
  • Dhakad et al. 2020 (counted in the calendar): dry or dried basis: oven-dried fruit (dry basis, from the methods); dry or dried basis: percent of oven-dried fruit (dry basis, from the methods); given per amount of juice, not per weight of the fruit: per 100 ml of juice (not per 100 g fruit); no FDA daily value
  • Erkinov et al. 2025 (counted in the calendar): flagged implausible; species, part or state not clear: Implausible: the table reports K 1650.913 and Fe 578.170 mg per 10 g, i.e. 16.5% potassium and 5.8% iron, which no fruit contains; the unit is probably wrong (perhaps mg/kg or µg/g of dry matter), and the sample state (fresh or dried) is not given. The paper also calls black mulberry both a variety of Morus alba and Morus nigra. Listed only for completeness; not usable without the authors' clarification.; unit not converted: mg per 10 g (as printed) (per 10 g of fruit sample; fresh or dry not stated)
  • Gundogdu et al. 2011 (other figures from this study are used above): no FDA daily value
  • Alizai et al. 2003: flagged implausible; given per amount of juice, not per weight of the fruit: fresh pulp/juice without seeds; no FDA daily value; species, part or state not clear: the scanned copy of the paper can’t be read reliably, and its total sugar nearly equals its total solids, which is implausible
  • Sánchez-Salcedo et al. 2015 (counted in the calendar): dry or dried basis: dry weight; dry or dried basis: dry weight (table title: 'on dry weight basis'); dry or dried basis: per 100 g dry weight; protein: the FDA percent daily value for protein must be corrected for protein quality (PDCAAS, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(ii)), which this analysis does not report; the amount is a range across samples, not one figure
  • Sangteerakij et al. 2023: basis not clear: percent of fruit as analyzed; fresh or dry basis not stated; carbohydrate has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber; crude fiber is a different measure from dietary fiber, the FDA daily value is for dietary fiber; no FDA daily value; protein: the FDA percent daily value for protein must be corrected for protein quality (PDCAAS, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(ii)), which this analysis does not report; species, part or state not clear: Basis unclear: the table gives % without stating fresh or dry basis, and a moisture of 43% is far below the 82-89% usual for fresh mulberry (the paper’s own introduction cites 84.4 to 89.7%), so the sample may have been partly dried or the figures mis-stated. Values for the fully ripened row: moisture 43.00, crude protein 1.90, total carbohydrate 55.40, fat 1.00, ash 0.20, crude fiber 0.40. Semi-ripened values also given (not collected). Ice-cream product values not collected.; total fat has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
  • Othman et al. 2024 (counted in the calendar): dry or dried basis: per 100 g dry weight; no FDA daily value
  • Beglaryan et al. 2025 (counted in the calendar): species, part or state not clear: The paper says results were 'calculated on a 100 g basis of the fruit' without saying fresh or dry; the flavonoid table of the same paper is per 100 g dry weight and K 1388 mg/100 g is far above fresh-fruit levels, so these are probably dry-weight values. Not converted. Values appear in Figure 2 and are restated in the text. Sugar (13.9%, saccharometer reading) is a soluble-solids reading, not total sugars, and was not collected.
  • Ullah et al. 2023 (counted in the calendar): carbohydrate has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber; crude fiber is a different measure from dietary fiber, the FDA daily value is for dietary fiber; dry or dried basis: per g of dried, powdered fruit (dry basis inferred by AI from the methods: 'Dry and powdered leaf and fruit samples'); dry or dried basis: percent of dried, powdered fruit (basis inferred by AI from the methods; the table does not state it); flagged implausible; no FDA daily value; protein: the FDA percent daily value for protein must be corrected for protein quality (PDCAAS, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(ii)), which this analysis does not report; species, part or state not clear: M. alba fruit is the 6th value in the row (columns: O. ferruginea A, B; P. khinjuk A, B; M. alba A, B; ...; A = leaf, B = fruit). The fruit proximates are implausible for mulberry (ash 33.4%, crude fiber 38.3%, dry matter 45.93% after oven drying), so treat with great caution.; total fat has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
  • Damasco et al. 2023 (counted in the calendar): carbohydrate has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber; flagged implausible; no FDA daily value; not measured in the cited work: measured (by difference); protein: the FDA percent daily value for protein must be corrected for protein quality (PDCAAS, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(ii)), which this analysis does not report; species, part or state not clear: Values look implausible for fresh mulberry (moisture 22.60-44.88 g/100 g, total carbohydrates up to 74.40 g/100 g; anthocyanin reported in g/100 g), and the species is uncertain (title says Morus spp.), so recorded as unclear. Wet-season vitamin C is about one-tenth of dry-season.; the amount is a range across samples, not one figure; total fat has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
  • Gundogdu et al. 2018 (other figures from this study are used above): no FDA daily value
  • Tewari et al. 2023 (counted in the calendar): basis not clear: per 100 g fruit; fresh or dry not stated for ascorbic acid (the same table’s phenols are on a dry-weight basis, its anthocyanins on fresh weight); species, part or state not clear: The row reads '221.60c ±0.49 36.07a ±21.22 20.18c ±0.47 1.16c ±0.12 48.02c ±1.05' across lines in the PDF (total phenols, ascorbic acid, flavonoids, anthocyanin, antioxidant activity). Proximates and minerals per species appear only in bar charts (Figs. 1 and 3) and as ranges across the three species in the abstract, so no M. alba-specific values could be read for them.
  • Iqbal et al. 2010 (other figures from this study are used above): no FDA daily value; species, part or state not clear: Total sugar (22.381%) is three times the TSS (7.42%) of the same fruit, which is impossible on a fresh basis; the sugars may be on a dry basis or mis-stated.
  • Sottile et al. 2017 (counted in the calendar): dry or dried basis: per 100 g dry matter (DM), fresh fruit at full ripening; no FDA daily value
  • Hepsağ et al. 2016 (counted in the calendar): dry or dried basis: per 100 g; text says 'mg/100 g', the garbled Table 2 header says 'mg/100 g dry weight'; species, part or state not clear: Basis conflict: the table says only 'mg/100 g', the abstract calls the means 'in 100 g fresh fruith', but values such as K 1055 mg/100 g are about five times typical fresh-fruit levels and look like dry-weight figures. Not converted.; species, part or state not clear: The text sentence continues on the next line '19.86 mg/100 g, respectively.' (urmu, black, white). Table 2’s column headers are mislabeled (three columns all say 'Total Anthocyanins'), so the basis is uncertain.; species, part or state not clear: White mulberry (Morus alba), harvested by hand in Adıyaman province, Southeast Anatolia, Turkey, 5-20 July (year not stated; paper received Feb 2016); kept at -20 °C; cultivated or wild not stated; total fat has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
  • Akin et al. 2016 (other figures from this study are used above): no FDA daily value
  • Gharibi et al. 2023 (counted in the calendar): no FDA daily value; species, part or state not clear: Units are inconsistent within the paper: Table 3 heads vitamin C '(mg/g)', the methods say 'milligrams per 100 g of extract', and the abstract says '4.34 mg/100 g'. Sugars are in mg/g with no basis; glucose up to 281.27 mg/g (28%) cannot be fresh weight. Recorded as unclear.; the amount is a range across samples, not one figure
  • Karadeniz et al. 2019 (counted in the calendar): dry or dried basis: dry weight (μg/g dw); the amount is a range across samples, not one figure
What was searched
  • Europe PMC: searched 2026-10-09, 791 records; 765 after removing duplicates across databases; 19 candidates by title and abstract; 7 read in full; 5 with figures used
  • PubMed: searched 2026-10-09, 551 records; 551 after removing duplicates across databases; 12 candidates by title and abstract; 5 read in full; 3 with figures used
  • OpenAlex: searched 2026-10-09, 2209 records; 2133 after removing duplicates across databases; 85 candidates by title and abstract; 30 read in full; 26 with figures used
  • Crossref: searched 2026-10-09, 121 records; 116 after removing duplicates across databases; 10 candidates by title and abstract; 5 read in full; 4 with figures used
  • J-STAGE (Japan): searched 2026-10-09, 619 records; 616 after removing duplicates across databases; 1 candidates by title and abstract; 1 read in full; 0 with figures used
  • USDA FoodData Central (online search): searched 2026-10-09, 1 records; 1 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
  • USDA FoodData Central (downloaded SR Legacy 2018 and Foundation 2026 tables): searched 2026-10-09, 1 records; 1 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
  • All databases together: 4293 records from all databases, 2966 unique, 91 candidates, 33 read, 27 used; 56 not read (paywalled 19, blocked automated access 24, not online 13)
  • KCI (Korea), CNKI (China), SciELO (Latin America), CORE, USDA’s AGRICOLA and PubAg, Google Scholar, and national food composition tables other than USDA’s: not searched (October 2026).

The counts are of papers new in this search. Sources found before this search (such as USDA’s entries) were not counted again.

Each database was searched for the plant’s scientific and common names together with nutrient words (composition, nutrient, vitamin, mineral, fiber, protein and others), in titles and abstracts only. Papers that don’t name the plant there, and words not on the list (such as fat, energy and moisture), were missed unless another paper led to them; the AI researchers found some that way.

Found but not read (56)

Collected in October 2026 by AI research agents, following written rules; the calendar’s figures were then checked independently.

Native or not

Hybridizes with native red mulberry.

Origin
non-native
Native range
East Asia (China, India, Southeast Asia, Japan)
Invader credit
★
Virginia invasive rank
Low
Maryland invasive status
Advisory (MISC list)
Native or not, and the invader stars: what this means

Origin is where the plant comes from: native, non-native, or mixed (the harvest covers both). The stars rate plants on invasive plant lists: ★★★ Virginia DCR “High” or Maryland prohibited invasive · ★★ Virginia “Medium” · ★ Virginia “Low” · ☆ listed only by the Maryland Invasive Species Council or the Mid-Atlantic Plant Invaders guide (advisory) · no stars: native or not listed.

Virginia DCR, Virginia Invasive Plant Species List (effective September 2024), verbatim: "Under the DCR Invasive Species Assessment Protocol, approved by the Virginia Invasive Species Working Group, January 2024, species were ranked as exhibiting high, medium or low levels of invasiveness based on their threat to natural communities and native species. Invasiveness rank is higher for species that: • Alter ecosystem processes, such as succession, hydrology or fire regime. • Are capable of invading undisturbed natural communities. • Cause substantial impacts on rare or vulnerable species or natural communities or high-quality examples of more common communities. • Are found widely distributed and generally abundant where present. • Disperse readily to new areas. • Are difficult to control." The list also states: "The list is for educational purposes only and has no regulatory authority."

Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant Law and Regulations page, verbatim: "Plants on the Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List may not be added to stock after the effective date and should not be sold after their phase-out period ends."

No official DC invasive plant list was found.

How the ratings were set

Find
Everywhere Estimate 2,895 = 991 research-grade iNaturalist sightings within 25 km + 1,937 needs-ID sightings counted at 96% (991 of the 1,035 research-grade Morus sightings here are white mulberry) + 49 'cultivated' (planted) sightings (rule A); that is tier 1 by count (rule B). Rule C (everyday place) is met: Ohio State University’s weed guide says "White mulberry is common in the eastern U.S." and is found "mostly along fencerows of unattended areas and in other open rural and urban habitats". Final tier 1.
Effort
Grab & eat Shake ripe berries onto a tarp, rinse and eat within a day; freezing or drying is extra.
Find: what this means

1 Everywhere · 2 Common in the right habitat · 3 Patchy · 4 Elusive. This is about how much there is, not whether you may pick it. It is based on iNaturalist sightings within 25 km (about 15 miles) of downtown DC, counted on October 3, 2026. The four rules that each plant’s “Find” reason refers to: (A) the estimate is the confirmed sightings, plus the unconfirmed ones (scaled down where the plant has lookalikes in its genus), plus the sightings marked as planted; (B) the tier by estimate: 1,500 or more is tier 1, 250–1,499 tier 2, 50–249 tier 3, under 50 tier 4; (C) tier 1, Everywhere, also needs a source saying the plant is common in lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots or towns, or at least one DC street tree of it per km of sidewalk, otherwise it is tier 2; (D) if a reliable source says the plant is rare in this region, or that wild plants rarely bear the harvest, only planted sightings count. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Effort: what this means

1 Grab & eat · 2 Quick kitchen prep (under about 30 minutes) · 3 Real work (hours, or cooking needed for safety) · 4 Project (days or equipment). Scored on the simplest worthwhile use; each plant’s page says why.

Sources

22 sources, each linked to the original.

  1. C&O Canal NHP Superintendent’s Compendium National Park ServiceBacks up: picking rules
  2. Rock Creek Park Superintendent’s Compendium National Park ServiceBacks up: picking rules
  3. Virginia Invasive Plant Species List (2024) Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Natural HeritageBacks up: picking rules, native or invasive status
  4. Mulberry, white (Ohio Perennial and Biennial Weed Guide) Ohio State UniversityBacks up: description
  5. Morus alba NC State Extension Plant ToolboxBacks up: description, season, uses, safety, picking rules, native or invasive status, keeping
  6. Morus rubra (Red Mulberry) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: effort & ID risk
  7. iNaturalist research-grade observations of Morus alba within 25 km of downtown DC iNaturalistBacks up: findability
  8. Dry or Tray Packing for Fruits National Center for Home Food Preservation (Univ. of Georgia)Backs up: keeping
  9. Mulberry Jelly Powdered Pectin National Center for Home Food Preservation (Univ. of Georgia)Backs up: keeping
  10. Berries-Whole (canning) National Center for Home Food Preservation (Univ. of Georgia)Backs up: keeping
  11. USDA PLANTS Database: Morus alba (MOAL), native status USDA NRCSBacks up: native or invasive status
  12. Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, Field Guide (Swearingen & Fulton, 2022; successor to the NPS/USFWS 5th ed., 2017) Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council / Passiflora Press (hosted by Bugwood/Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool)Backs up: native or invasive status
  13. Invasive Plant List (Tier 1, Tier 2 and 'Additional plants considered'; last updated January 19, 2023; superseded) Maryland Department of AgricultureBacks up: native or invasive status
  14. Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant Law and Regulations (Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List, updated January 2026; additions effective July 15, 2026; 'Next Plants To Be Assessed' 2026-2027) Maryland Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection & Weed ManagementBacks up: native or invasive status
  15. Non-Native Invasive Terrestrial Plant Species in the State of Maryland (updates approved through the April 18, 2024 MISC meeting) Maryland Invasive Species CouncilBacks up: native or invasive status
  16. Invasive Plants in the District DC Department of Energy & EnvironmentBacks up: native or invasive status
  17. Invasives in Your Woodland: White Mulberry University of Maryland ExtensionBacks up: safety details
  18. White mulberry (Morus alba) research-grade observations within 25 km of DC, by month (fruiting annotation) iNaturalistBacks up: season
  19. White mulberry research-grade observations within 25 km of DC, with photos (fruiting annotation) iNaturalistBacks up: season
  20. White mulberry research-grade observations Maryland, Virginia and DC, by week (fruiting annotation) iNaturalistBacks up: season
  21. It’s Mulberry Season on the Route 1 Corridor Hyattsville WireBacks up: season, habitat, uses, storage, keeping
  22. The Foraged Berries of June Series: How to Identify and Harvest Mulberries Natural History Society of MarylandBacks up: season, uses, storage, description, keeping