Mulberry Tree

(Morus alba)

From ancient forests to the Silk Road: a story of evolution, coevolution, domestication, and human civilization

Present By; Tarik Genelus

Grabber

Did you know that a single tree species helped shape trade, fashion, agriculture, and civilization across Asia and eventually the world?

The white mulberry tree (Morus alba) evolved millions of years ago as part of the flowering plants of ancient Asia. Over time, it formed a highly specialized relationship with the silkworm (Bombyx mori), whose larvae depend almost entirely on mulberry leaves for survival. Through natural selection, coevolution, and human domestication, this relationship became the biological foundation of sericulture and the Silk Road trade network.

Today, the mulberry tree represents one of the clearest examples of how evolution, ecology, and human civilization can become deeply interconnected.

Evolutionary History Overview

The white mulberry (Morus alba) traces its evolutionary history from early land plants that appeared over 470 million years ago. Through the evolution of vascular tissues, flowers, and fruits, mulberries emerged within the Moraceae family and eventually diversified into the genus Morus. Today, Morus alba is one of the most widely cultivated mulberry species in the world.

Silkworm larvae feed almost exclusively on mulberry leaves.

Millions of years of coevolution created a specialized mulberry–silkworm relationship

Coevolution With Silkworms

One of the most remarkable evolutionary relationships involving mulberry trees is their coevolution with silkworms (Bombyx mori). Silkworm larvae feed almost exclusively on mulberry leaves, while mulberry trees provide the nutrients necessary for silkworm growth and silk production. Over time, silkworms evolved adaptations that allow them to digest compounds found in mulberry leaves that deter many other insects.

Human-Enabled Evolution

Humans have influenced mulberry evolution for thousands of years through selective cultivation. Farmers favored mulberry trees with larger leaves, rapid growth, and greater productivity to support silk production. This artificial selection helped spread white mulberry across Asia, Europe, and eventually North America.

Silk production encouraged the widespread cultivation of mulberry trees

Humans selectively bred mulberries for larger leaves and greater productivity

Mulberry species display variation in leaf shape, fruit color, and growth habits.

Mulberry fruits vary in color as they mature from red to dark purple.

Variability in Mulberry Leaves

Mulberry trees display significant variation in leaf shape and size. Even leaves growing on the same tree may be unlobed, deeply lobed, broad, or narrow. This phenotypic variability provides the raw material for natural selection and contributes to the adaptability of mulberry populations.

Why Mulberries Matter Today

Mulberry trees continue to play important ecological and economic roles. They support silk production, provide food for wildlife, produce nutrient-rich fruits, and are cultivated throughout many regions of the world. Their long history of interaction with both humans and silkworms makes them a powerful example of evolution, coevolution, and artificial selection.

Mulberry leaves support the global silk industry.

Silk fibers are produced from the cocoons of domesticated silkworms.

Mulberries are also grown worldwide for their nutritious fruits.

Silkworms depend on mulberry leaves throughout their larval stage

The mulberry–silkworm partnership remains one of nature's best examples of coevolution

Let's not forget the Grabber

The dependence of silkworms on mulberry leaves is the result of millions of years of coevolution. This specialized relationship became even stronger through human domestication and silk farming, making the mulberry–silkworm partnership one of the best-known examples of coevolution in nature

REFERENCES

Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Mulberry." Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com

University of Florida IFAS Extension. "Mulberry Trees." Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

University of Illinois Extension. "Silkworms and Sericulture." Retrieved from https://extension.illinois.edu

OneZoom Tree of Life Explorer. Retrieved from https://www.onezoom.org

Digital Atlas of Ancient Life. "Geological Time Scale." Retrieved from https://www.digitalatlasofancientlife.org

Nature Education (Scitable). "Coevolution." Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/scitable

Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Silkworm." Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com

Wikimedia Commons. Image database. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org

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