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<big>Has anyone been seeing Morus australis (Chinese mulberry), a
mulberry tree/shrub that seems to have recently arrived on these
shores? You can find information on the species in the Flora of
China at
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200006380">http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200006380</a>.
In addition, people have been submitting photos of this species to
a plant identification Facebook page
(<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/156706504394635/search/?query=Morus%20australis">https://www.facebook.com/groups/156706504394635/search/?query=Morus%20australis</a>).
<br>
<br>
Botanist Charlie Davis and I run an informal plant ID lab twice a
month at the Natural History Society of Maryland, and attendees
have brought M. australis samples to two out of the last three
sessions. One specimen came from Meadow Lane (an alley near W.
University Parkway) in Baltimore and another from Old Hanover Road
in Reisterstown, MD. Attached are photos from the sapling brought
to the lab from Old Hanover Road on 8/10/15.<br>
<br>
Apparently there have been increasing numbers of sightings in N.
America although Charlie said that sometimes specimens have been
misidentified as Morus alba. Note that M. australis leaves vary
from entire to deeply lobed, and its lobes tend to be
thinner/longer than M. alba's. Some people have even thought that
the M. australis plants were figs based on leaf shape although
other characteristics are clearly quite different. It has also
been reported that M. australis is hard to kill -- that it regrows
with multiple stems if cut down; however, I don't know whether any
herbicides were used concurrently. <br>
<br>
I'm thinking that this might become the next invasive Morus
species.<br>
<br>
Judy<br>
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<div class="moz-signature"><big>____________________________________________<br>
<br>
Judith P. Fulton<br>
Master Gardener<br>
University of Maryland Extension<br>
410-337-3701<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:jfulton5@gmail.com">jfulton5@gmail.com</a></big></div>
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