Chapters 4.57

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Morus alba FrJPG.jpg

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Robinson,E. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/

Introduction

The Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) tree is a deciduous species of tree that can grow to heights of 35-50 ft, and blooms in the late spring season (Sardo, 2018). Indigenous peoples, such as the Huron-Wendat, used the mulberry plant for a variety of reasons including food, drinks, medicine, and the wood for a multitude of purposes (Sardo, 2018). Mulberry leaves are still being researched for their medicinal qualities to be an option for controlling cardiometabolic risks in a therapeutic way (Thaipitakwong et al., 2018).

Plant and Species Information

The Red Mulberry, or Morus rubra, is a small to medium sized tree that has fruit with a colour range anywhere between red and black. The tree is between six to twenty meters high, with the bark of the tree possessing an irregular long shape, and the colour being a light mix of tan and gray (COSEWIC, 2014). See Figure 1. The flowers of the Morus Rubra are pendulous catkins , which are male or female spikes that hang down from a flower, that grow during the early stages of leave expansion, coming in a yellow/green colour than can sometimes have a red hue to them (COSEWIC, 2014). See Figure 2. The sweet fruit is a dark reddish-purple when ripe, growing to a cylindrical shape of about two to three centimeters long in multiples of drupes, which is a fruit which has a seed inside the center with a fleshy skin (COSEWIC, 2014). The oval shaped aggregate fruit is edible (Kehs, 2020). The tree gives a milky sap and has leaves the shape of hearts that grow up to 8 inches long.

The soft, fine hairs covering the bottom side of the leaves is an indicator of the red mulberry as supposed to the smooth underside of the white mulberry (TWC, 2019). The fruit grows best in conditions with sun and with shade, and they can withstand different types of soil (Sardo, 2018). They are a tolerant species and can grow even during droughts and in bad soil. Red Mulberries are found in Southern Ontario in the Carolinian Zone (Ontario, 2021).

Red Mulberry trees can be either unisexual or bisexual and are wind pollinated (COSEWIC, 2014). In Ontario, the trees will flower in late May to mid-June, which is considered later than most species, and the fruits will mature from middle to late July (COSEWIC, 2014). The seeds are then dispersed by birds or small mammals (COSEWIC, 2014). All of the parts of the Red Mulberry have been used for years by Indigenous peoples for a multitude of purposes.

Figure 1.0 Red Mulberry bark (COSEWIC, 2014)

Figure 2.0 Red Mulberry leaves and fruit (COSEWIC, 2014)

Associated Indigenous Peoples

The red mulberry is not used as much nowadays in Ontario since they have been on the endangered species list since April 1999 (COSEWIC, 2014). But historically, Morus rubra were used in a variety of ways by many different indigenous groups. These included the Choctaw, Iroquois, Creek, Cherokee, Meskwaki, Rappahannock, and Seminole tribes. More detailed information about how these groups used the Red Mulberry can be found in the next section, “Consumption and Uses.”

Consumption and Uses

The Red Mulberry’s fruit was used to make drinks with the fresh fruit, baked goods like cakes and breads, preserves, and pemmican made with the dried mulberries and some animal fat (TWC, 2019). The leaves of the Red Mulberry were used medicinally to treat dysentery and worms, as well as used for a laxative and emetic (TWC, 2019). The wood from the Red Mulberry was used to build things like furniture and fence posts, farming tools, weave fabric, and as a finish in the interior of buildings by many indigenous groups such as the Choctaw (TWC, 2019).

The Iroquois tribe in Ottawa, Ontario used the red mulberry for breads and cakes (Waugh, 1916). They mashed the fruit to put in the breads and cakes, as well as dried them for future use such as being taken as a hunting food (Waugh, 1916). Like the leaves of Morus rubra, Swanton states that the roots are also used for medical purposes in the Creek tribe (Swanton, 1928). These include the infusion of the root being used for urinary problems, weakness, and as an emetic. Similarly, the Cherokee tribe uses the infusion of bark as a laxative, purgative, and to check dysentery (Hamel et al., 1975). In the Meskwaki tribe, they used the root bark as a medication for any illness (Smith, 1928). Another part of the tree that can be used medicinally is the tree sap. This was used by the Rappahannock tribe as a dermatological aid, typically administered on the skin for ringworm (Speck et al., 1942). The wood from the tree was used to make bows for hunting and fishing in the Seminole tribe (Sturtevant, 1954).

The Red Mulberry’s use in indigenous communities was mainly for medicinal purposes, since the bark, roots, and leaves can all be used for this purpose. Although the berries use were less important to these communities, they were also valuable for use in food and hunting. The wood of the tree was likely less commonly used since there are many other options for wood to use rather than specifically the Morus rubr a wood.

Geographic Origins and History

The Red Mulberry is native to North America, mainly in the southeast of the continent, but also spreads along the central and eastern parts (Sandilands, 2020). See Figure 3.0 for a map of the range of Red Mulberries in the United States. Since it is so widely spread throughout the continent, many indigenous groups to advantage of the numerous uses Morus rubra offer. These groups shaped how eastern indigenous nations are today when it comes to how they used the medicinal, culinary, and technological benefits of the Red Mulberry tree (Sandilands, 2020). It is such an important part of these groups that a mulberry month is celebrated throughout May in the southeast nations such as the Choctaw and Mvskoke nations (Sandilands, 2020). The plant is still prevalent throughout the United States, but in its habitat throughout the Carolinian forests of Southern Ontario, the Red Mulberry struggles with hybridization. See Figure 4.0 for a map of non-planted Red Mulberries in Ontario. Since the introduction of the White Mulberry in Ontario, the species has turned invasive as it crosses with Red Mulberries (Sandilands, 2020). The crossed species still do thrive and are not having trouble growing, but as this cross-breeding continues, there are fewer and fewer pure Red Mulberries in Ontario (COSEWIC, 2014). This has led to the Red Mulberry, have been named endangered since 1999 (COSEWIC, 2014). This has caused indigenous groups in Canada to use the plant less than previously, since the province of Ontario is trying to preserve the presence of Red Mulberries.

Figure 3.0 Red Mulberry range in United States (Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center (GECSC), 2018)

Figure 4.0 Map of Non-Planted Red Mulberry (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), 2011)

Limitations

The population of Red Mulberries is decreasing. Red Mulberries are mainly being threatened by the hybridization with the White Mulberry, but there are other causes for the decline (COSEWIC, 2014). White Mulberry are not the only invasive species threatening them, double-crested Cormorants and other exotic plants are an additional threat because of their invasiveness (COSEWIC, 2014). Dieback, twig cankers, and blight are all diseases that contribute to the decrease as well (COSEWIC, 2014). Grazing habits of herbivores in high populations such as deer also reduce the population of Morus rubra in these regions (COSEWIC, 2014). To keep the Red Mulberry around, attention must be given to the preservation of pure species and removing the major threats.

References

1.COSEWIC. (2014). COSEWIC Status Report on the Red Mulberry in Canada.

2.Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center (GECSC). (2018). Mulberries. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/geosciences-and-environmental-change-science-center

3.Hamel, P.B., et al. (1975). Cherokee Plants and Their Uses – A 400 Year History. Herald Publishing Co., 45

4.Kehs, A. (2020). Mulberry. https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/mulberry/infos

5.Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR). (2011). Ontario Tree Atlas. http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/ClimateChange/2ColumnSubPage/267027.html

6.Ontario. (2021, August 12). Red mulberry (Species at Risk). https://www.ontario.ca/page/red-mulberry-species-risk

7.Sardo, P. (2018, December 10). Red Mulberry. https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/red-mulberry/

8.Smith, H. H. (1928). Ethanobotany of the Meskwaki Indians. Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee, 251

9.Speck, F.G., et al. (1942). Rappahannock Herbals, Folk-Lore and Science of Cures. Proceedings of the Delaware County Institute of Science, 30

10.Sturtevant, W. (1954). The Mikasuki Seminole: Medical Beliefs and Practices. Yale University, PhD Thesis, 475

11.Swanton, J. R. (1928). Religious Beliefs and Medical Practices of the Creek Indians. SI-BAE Annual Report, 659

12.Thaipitakwong et al. (2018, December) Mulberry leaves and their potential effects against cardiometabolic risks. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6130672/

13.TWC. (2019, September 9). Morus Rubra. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MORU2

14.Waugh, F. W. (1916). Iroquis Foods and Food Preparation. Canada Department of Mines, 128