NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details
Broussonetia papyrifera
Paper Mulberry, Otaheite
Scientific Name: |
Broussonetia papyrifera |
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Genus: |
Broussonetia |
Species Epithet: |
papyrifera |
Common Name: |
Paper Mulberry, Otaheite |
Plant Type |
Tree |
Plant Family |
Moraceae (Mulberry Family) |
Native/Alien: |
Not Native to US |
Invasive Status: |
Rank 2 - Significant Threat (*Key) |
Size: |
36-72 ft. |
Bloom Color(s): |
White, Yellow |
Light: |
Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day |
Soil Moisture: |
Moist |
Bloom Time: |
April |
Growing Area: |
Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plain |
Habitat Description: |
Urban lots, disturbed areas, roadsides; native of e. Asia. Common throughout NC. |
Leaf Arrangement: |
Alternate |
Leaf Retention: |
Deciduous |
Leaf Type: |
Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like |
Leaf Form: |
Simple |
Wildlife Value: |
Not Assigned |
Landscape Value: |
Not Recommended for home landscapes |
State Status: |
(*Key) |
Old specimen tree photographed by Jack Spruill, in Plymouth, Washington Co, In Washington Co, paper mulberry is called "otaheite", an old name for Tahiti. "It is well known that there were hundreds of acres of mulberry trees planted in parts of North Carolina, including Washington County, as part of the great silk worm ventures of colonial times. My theory is that some of the mulberry species planted included Broussonetia papyrifera. If so, I believe that is how the plant got to NC and why it is called Otaheite by some of us. The great silk get-rich-scheme included Thomas Jefferson. Apparently the name Otaheite is included in some plant records at Monticello. I think the community Silk Hope in Chatham County is so named because there were mulberry plantings there." - Jack Spruill |
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Male flowers Ornamental plantings are mostly male trees. Jack Spruill, April 2011, Washington Co |
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Leaves Leaves can be both lobed and unlobed. It is also one of the few trees that can have both opposite and alternate leaves. Jack Spruill, April 2011, Washington Co. Native to east Asia, paper mulberry was used in China to make high-quality paper as early as 100 A.D. |
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