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.

Geological Time Scale

Species Age:

The domesticated white mulberry (Morus alba) originated during the:

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Cenozoic
Period: Paleogene–Neogene
Approximate origin of genus Morus: ~20–30 million years ago
Human cultivation of Morus alba: ~5,000 years ago in ancient China

Deep Time History

While cultivated mulberry trees are associated with human civilization, their evolutionary lineage is much older:

Origin of vascular plants: ~450 million years ago
Origin of flowering plants (angiosperms): ~140 million years ago
Diversification of flowering trees: ~100–70 million years ago
Evolution of Moraceae family: ~60–80 million years ago
Emergence of genus Morus: ~20–30 million years ago
Domestication and sericulture in China: ~5,000 years ago

EVOLUTIONARY ORIGIN

The white mulberry tree evolved from ancient flowering plant ancestors within the Moraceae family. Early wild mulberry species adapted to temperate and subtropical climates throughout Asia. Over millions of years, natural selection favored trees with broad leaves, rapid growth, and strong environmental adaptability.

During the rise of ancient Chinese civilization, humans began cultivating Morus alba because its leaves provided ideal nutrition for silkworms. Through domestication and selective cultivation, humans spread white mulberry trees across Asia, Europe, and eventually the Americas.

Over time, the relationship between mulberry trees, silkworms, and humans became one of the most important examples of coevolution and artificial selection in agricultural history.

THE EVOLUTIONARY TREE OF THE MULBERRY TREE

Timeline sidebar:

LUCA (~3.8 bya)
Eukaryotes (~2.1 bya)
Land plants (~470 mya)
Vascular plants (~450 mya)
Flowering plants (~140 mya)
Rosales order
Moraceae family
Genus Morus
Morus alba

Major Mulberry Species

Morus alba (White Mulberry)

Preferred species for sericulture due to nutrient-rich leaves.

Morus rubra (Red Mulberry)

Native to North America with larger fruit.

Morus nigra (Black Mulberry)

Produces dark, sweet fruit and grows more slowly.

Morus australis

Asian mulberry species adapted to warmer climates.

COEVOLUTION WITH SILKWORMS

The relationship between the mulberry tree and the domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori) is highly specialized. Silkworm larvae feed almost exclusively on mulberry leaves, especially those of Morus alba.

Mulberry trees evolved chemical defenses that discourage most insects from feeding on them. However, silkworms evolved specialized digestive enzymes and behavioral adaptations that allow them to safely consume mulberry leaves.

This coevolutionary relationship intensified through domestication. Humans cultivated larger mulberry forests while selectively breeding silkworms for greater silk production. As a result, silkworms became highly dependent on mulberry trees and human care for survival.

HUMAN-ENABLED EVOLUTION

Humans became active participants in the evolutionary relationship between mulberry trees and silkworms through artificial selection and domestication.

Ancient Chinese civilizations cultivated mulberry orchards to support sericulture, the production of silk from silkworm cocoons. Over thousands of years, humans selectively bred silkworms that produced larger cocoons, finer silk fibers, and calmer behavior.

At the same time, humans spread Morus alba cultivation across Asia and along the Silk Road trade network. This transformed both organisms and connected biology directly to economics, trade, culture, and technology.

Today, domesticated silkworms rarely survive in the wild, demonstrating how human influence can permanently shape evolution.

MODERN DIVERSITY OF MULBERRY TREES

White Mulberry (Morus alba)

Fast-growing species widely cultivated for silkworm farming.

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)

Native North American species with sweet fruit and ecological importance.

Black Mulberry (Morus nigra)

is known for rich fruit flavor and historical cultivation in Europe and Asia.

Weeping Mulberry:

Decorative ornamental variety with hanging branches.

Dwarf Mulberry

: A compact cultivated variety often grown in gardens and urban areas.

Mulberry trees now exist across many regions of the world due to human cultivation and environmental adaptability.

REFERENCES

Britannica. “Mulberry.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.

University of Florida IFAS Extension. “Mulberry Trees.”

University of Illinois Extension. “Silkworms and Sericulture.”

Nature Education. “Coevolution.”

Digital Atlas of Ancient Life. “Geological Time.”

OneZoom Tree of Life Explorer.

Wikimedia Commons image database.

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