Red mulberry is an endangered species in Canada and is only found in parts of the Carolinian zone in Ontario. This tree grows well in moist soils on the shores of Lake Erie, on riverbanks, and near the Niagara escarpment. Red mulberry is threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, urban and agricultural development, and hybridization with its nonnative invasive relative white mulberry.

Red and white mulberry can be identified visually, however differentiating hybrids from parental species can be difficult. DNA testing is the best way to truly identify pure red, white, and hybrid mulberry plants. Generally, red mulberry tends to have a rough upper leaf surface compared to a smooth surface on the white mulberry. The bark of red mulberry has large gray brown irregular bark scales, and white mulberry has an orange tinge towards the tree base. Red mulberry fruits are slightly longer, and sparser on the branches. The leaves of red mulberry are heart shaped, with few lobes if any present. Red mulberry grows to be around 618 meters tall, with alternate branching structure and toothed leaf margins.

Trial supported in part by the Ontario Species at Risk Stewardship Program: https://arboretum.uoguelph.ca/redmul...

Red Mulberry activities 20202023 funded by the Government of Ontario’s Species at Risk Stewardship Program, University of Guelph Arboretum Henry Kock Tree Recovery Fund, and inkind participation of partners and organizations in the adhoc Ontario Red Mulberry Working Group.