Plant Profile: Morus rubra 'Silk Hope'

Names

Silk Hope Red Mulberry

  • Photo of Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' (Morus rubra 'Silk Hope's)

Phonetic Spelling:MOR-russ ROO-bruh

Genus:Morus

Species:rubra

Family:Moraceae

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope', often referred to as Silk Hope red mulberry, is a native tree that boasts both decorative and edible qualities. This variety is a hybrid of red and white mulberry. While it has a lifespan of up to 125 years, its tendency to behave invasively can be a drawback. Notably, it exhibits greater cold hardiness compared to black mulberry.

For further details on Morus rubra, please refer to additional resources.

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Feature Summary

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Image Gallery

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Tags

#deciduous
#drought tolerant
#weedy
#messy
#deer resistant
#edible garden
#bird friendly
#butterfly friendly
#non-toxic for horses
#non-toxic for dogs
#non-toxic for cats

Similar Plants

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Feature Summary

Attributes
Wildlife Value:
This plant is moderately resistant to damage from deer. It is a possible host plant for the Red Admiral butterfly. Its fruits are eaten by many birds, especially gray catbirds and northern mockingbirds, foxes, opossums, raccoons, and squirrels.
Edibility:
Berries for making jelly, wine, and dessert.
Fruit
Fruit Description:
produces numerous black fruit that looks like blackberry but slender with a size of 1 1/4''. It is sweet in flavor, similar to Illinois Everbearing but larger
Fruit Color:
Purple/Lavender
Black
Fruit Length:
1-3 inches
Flowers
Flower Description:
The small yellowish-green flower of the Silk Hope red mulberry is not showy. Male flower and female flower can bloom on the same tree or different trees.
Leaves
Leaf Description:
Alternate broad simple green leaves with a notch at the base and a fine serrated margin. The upper surface is rough and under surface is full of soft hair.
Leaf Feel:
Rough
Velvety
Whole Plant Traits
Plant Type:
Edible
Tree
Habit/Form:
Erect
Oval
Texture:
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Light:
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil Drainage:
Good Drainage
NC Region:
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Soil Texture:
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Stem
Landscape
Attracts:
Butterflies
Songbirds

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Image Gallery

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Attributes

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Wildlife Value

This plant is moderately resistant to damage from deer. It is a possible host plant for the Red Admiral butterfly. Its fruits are eaten by many birds, especially gray catbirds and northern mockingbirds, foxes, opossums, raccoons, and squirrels.

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Edibility

Berries for making jelly, wine, and dessert.

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Fruit

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Fruit Description

produces numerous black fruit that looks like blackberry but slender with a size of 1 1/4''. It is sweet in flavor, similar to Illinois Everbearing but larger

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Purple/Lavender

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Flowers

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Flower Description

The small yellowish-green flower of the Silk Hope red mulberry is not showy. Male flower and female flower can bloom on the same tree or different trees.

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Flower Color

filter_vintage
Green

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Leaves

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Leaf Description

Alternate broad simple green leaves with a notch at the base and a fine serrated margin. The upper surface is rough and under surface is full of soft hair.

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Leaf Color

spa
Green

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Hairs Present

No
Yes

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Whole Plant Traits

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Cultural Conditions

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Stem

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope' Landscape

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Morus rubra 'Silk Hope': Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees