Paper Mulberry
Broussonetia papyrifera
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The Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) is a fast-growing deciduous tree whose inner bark has been transformed into one of humanity's most important cultural materials — cloth and paper — for thousands of years. From the tapa cloth of Pacific Island cultures to the washi paper of Japan and the earliest paper in China, this remarkable tree has shaped human civilization through its versatile bark fibers.
• The genus name Broussonetia honors Pierre Marie Auguste Broussonet, an 18th-century French naturalist
• The species epithet "papyrifera" means "paper-bearing," directly referencing its use in papermaking
• Inner bark fibers have been used to make cloth (tapa/kapa) for over 5,000 years across the Pacific Islands
• The source of the finest traditional paper in Japan (washi), Korea (hanji), and China
• Dioecious — male and female flowers on separate trees
• Has become invasive in many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rosales
Family
Moraceae
Genus
Broussonetia
Species
Broussonetia papyrifera
Broussonetia papyrifera is native to East and Southeast Asia, with a natural range spanning from China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea through Indochina to Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia.
• Native to temperate and subtropical forests across eastern Asia
• Found naturally in forest margins, disturbed sites, and along streams from sea level to approximately 2,000 meters
• Cultivated for bark fiber for millennia — one of the oldest cultivated trees in East Asia
• Archaeological evidence of tapa cloth production from Paper Mulberry dates back at least 5,000 years in China
• Spread throughout the Pacific Islands by Austronesian-speaking peoples who carried it on ocean voyages as a canoe plant
• Present in Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia by 1000 BCE — one of the most widely distributed cultural plants in the Pacific
• Introduced to Europe in the 18th century and to the Americas in the 19th century
• Has naturalized aggressively in parts of the southeastern United States, South America, Africa, and Pakistan
• First described scientifically by Carl Linnaeus the Younger in 1782 as Morus papyrifera, later transferred to Broussonetia
• Native to temperate and subtropical forests across eastern Asia
• Found naturally in forest margins, disturbed sites, and along streams from sea level to approximately 2,000 meters
• Cultivated for bark fiber for millennia — one of the oldest cultivated trees in East Asia
• Archaeological evidence of tapa cloth production from Paper Mulberry dates back at least 5,000 years in China
• Spread throughout the Pacific Islands by Austronesian-speaking peoples who carried it on ocean voyages as a canoe plant
• Present in Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia by 1000 BCE — one of the most widely distributed cultural plants in the Pacific
• Introduced to Europe in the 18th century and to the Americas in the 19th century
• Has naturalized aggressively in parts of the southeastern United States, South America, Africa, and Pakistan
• First described scientifically by Carl Linnaeus the Younger in 1782 as Morus papyrifera, later transferred to Broussonetia
Broussonetia papyrifera is a medium-sized, fast-growing, dioecious deciduous tree.
Size and habit:
• Typically grows 10 to 20 meters tall, with a spreading, rounded crown
• Trunk is typically 20 to 50 cm in diameter, with grayish-brown, rough bark
• Young branches are densely hairy and somewhat sticky
• Often multistemmed when grown for fiber production (coppiced regularly)
Leaves:
• Simple, alternate, highly variable in shape — ovate, cordate, or deeply lobed (3 to 5 lobes)
• Leaves on young growth are often deeply lobed, while mature tree leaves tend to be unlobed and ovate
• 8 to 20 cm long and 6 to 15 cm wide, dark green above, densely gray-pubescent (hairy) below
• Margins are coarsely toothed (serrate)
• Leaves are rough-textured (scabrous) to the touch
Male flowers:
• Produced in cylindrical, pendulous catkins 3 to 8 cm long
• Yellowish-green, appearing in early spring before or with the leaves
Female flowers:
• Produced in rounded, green, ball-like heads approximately 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter
• Resemble small, spiky green balls
Fruit:
• Syncarp — a fleshy, spherical, orange-red to deep red aggregate fruit 2 to 3 cm in diameter
• Superficially resembles a small, spiky mulberry
• Sweet and technically edible but rarely eaten
• Each fruit contains numerous small seeds
Size and habit:
• Typically grows 10 to 20 meters tall, with a spreading, rounded crown
• Trunk is typically 20 to 50 cm in diameter, with grayish-brown, rough bark
• Young branches are densely hairy and somewhat sticky
• Often multistemmed when grown for fiber production (coppiced regularly)
Leaves:
• Simple, alternate, highly variable in shape — ovate, cordate, or deeply lobed (3 to 5 lobes)
• Leaves on young growth are often deeply lobed, while mature tree leaves tend to be unlobed and ovate
• 8 to 20 cm long and 6 to 15 cm wide, dark green above, densely gray-pubescent (hairy) below
• Margins are coarsely toothed (serrate)
• Leaves are rough-textured (scabrous) to the touch
Male flowers:
• Produced in cylindrical, pendulous catkins 3 to 8 cm long
• Yellowish-green, appearing in early spring before or with the leaves
Female flowers:
• Produced in rounded, green, ball-like heads approximately 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter
• Resemble small, spiky green balls
Fruit:
• Syncarp — a fleshy, spherical, orange-red to deep red aggregate fruit 2 to 3 cm in diameter
• Superficially resembles a small, spiky mulberry
• Sweet and technically edible but rarely eaten
• Each fruit contains numerous small seeds
Broussonetia papyrifera is an adaptable, disturbance-adapted species with significant ecological impacts.
Habitat:
• Native to forest margins, clearings, riparian areas, and disturbed sites in eastern Asia
• Highly adaptable to a wide range of soil types, light conditions, and moisture levels
• Fast-growing and short-lived (typically 30 to 50 years)
Invasive behavior:
• Listed as invasive in the southeastern United States (particularly Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas), Argentina, Uruguay, parts of Africa, and various Pacific and Indian Ocean islands
• Spreads aggressively by seed and root suckers, forming dense thickets that exclude native vegetation
• Root system is aggressive and can damage infrastructure
• Seeds are dispersed by birds that eat the fruit
Ecological role:
• Fruit is eaten by numerous bird species, contributing to its spread
• Leaves are browsed by deer and livestock
• Provides food for silkworm species other than the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori)
• Fallen leaves decompose rapidly, enriching soil
• Can serve as a pioneer species in ecological restoration
Habitat:
• Native to forest margins, clearings, riparian areas, and disturbed sites in eastern Asia
• Highly adaptable to a wide range of soil types, light conditions, and moisture levels
• Fast-growing and short-lived (typically 30 to 50 years)
Invasive behavior:
• Listed as invasive in the southeastern United States (particularly Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas), Argentina, Uruguay, parts of Africa, and various Pacific and Indian Ocean islands
• Spreads aggressively by seed and root suckers, forming dense thickets that exclude native vegetation
• Root system is aggressive and can damage infrastructure
• Seeds are dispersed by birds that eat the fruit
Ecological role:
• Fruit is eaten by numerous bird species, contributing to its spread
• Leaves are browsed by deer and livestock
• Provides food for silkworm species other than the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori)
• Fallen leaves decompose rapidly, enriching soil
• Can serve as a pioneer species in ecological restoration
Planting:
• Propagation from seed, cuttings, root suckers, or tissue culture
• Seeds require no pretreatment; sow on moist medium in warm conditions
• Hardwood and softwood cuttings root readily
• Root cuttings and suckers are easily transplanted
• Extremely fast-growing — can reach 3 to 5 meters in a single season
• Adaptable to virtually any soil type, including poor, degraded, and contaminated soils
• Hardy in USDA zones 6 to 11 — wide climatic adaptability
• Full sun to partial shade
• Drought-tolerant once established
• For bark fiber production: coppice every 1 to 3 years to produce long, straight shoots with harvestable bark
• For papermaking: harvest 1 to 2 year old branches and strip the bark
• WARNING: Invasive in many regions — check local regulations before planting
• Not recommended for landscapes in the southeastern United States
• Consider sterile or male-only cultivars to reduce invasive spread
• Propagation from seed, cuttings, root suckers, or tissue culture
• Seeds require no pretreatment; sow on moist medium in warm conditions
• Hardwood and softwood cuttings root readily
• Root cuttings and suckers are easily transplanted
• Extremely fast-growing — can reach 3 to 5 meters in a single season
• Adaptable to virtually any soil type, including poor, degraded, and contaminated soils
• Hardy in USDA zones 6 to 11 — wide climatic adaptability
• Full sun to partial shade
• Drought-tolerant once established
• For bark fiber production: coppice every 1 to 3 years to produce long, straight shoots with harvestable bark
• For papermaking: harvest 1 to 2 year old branches and strip the bark
• WARNING: Invasive in many regions — check local regulations before planting
• Not recommended for landscapes in the southeastern United States
• Consider sterile or male-only cultivars to reduce invasive spread
Uses:
• Primary use: bark fiber for making cloth and paper — one of the most culturally important fiber plants in human history
• Tapa cloth (kapa in Hawaii, siapo in Samoa, ngatu in Tonga, masi in Fiji) is made by beating the inner bark into thin sheets — a tradition spanning over 5,000 years
• Japanese washi paper, especially the finest quality kozo paper, is made primarily from Paper Mulberry bark fibers
• Korean hanji (traditional handmade paper) is made from Paper Mulberry bark
• Ancient Chinese paper (dating to the Han Dynasty, ~200 BCE) was made from Paper Mulberry bark
• Bark fibers produce an exceptionally strong, durable, and beautiful paper used in art, bookbinding, and conservation
• Wood is soft and used for fuel and making small items
• Fruit is edible but not commonly eaten
• Leaves are used as fodder for livestock, particularly pigs and cattle
• Used in traditional Chinese medicine — fruit, leaves, and root bark are used to treat various ailments
• Root bark is used for its diuretic properties
• Leaf extracts show antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties in laboratory studies
• Used for land reclamation and erosion control due to rapid growth and adaptability
• Wood is used for making musical instruments in some Asian cultures
• Primary use: bark fiber for making cloth and paper — one of the most culturally important fiber plants in human history
• Tapa cloth (kapa in Hawaii, siapo in Samoa, ngatu in Tonga, masi in Fiji) is made by beating the inner bark into thin sheets — a tradition spanning over 5,000 years
• Japanese washi paper, especially the finest quality kozo paper, is made primarily from Paper Mulberry bark fibers
• Korean hanji (traditional handmade paper) is made from Paper Mulberry bark
• Ancient Chinese paper (dating to the Han Dynasty, ~200 BCE) was made from Paper Mulberry bark
• Bark fibers produce an exceptionally strong, durable, and beautiful paper used in art, bookbinding, and conservation
• Wood is soft and used for fuel and making small items
• Fruit is edible but not commonly eaten
• Leaves are used as fodder for livestock, particularly pigs and cattle
• Used in traditional Chinese medicine — fruit, leaves, and root bark are used to treat various ailments
• Root bark is used for its diuretic properties
• Leaf extracts show antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties in laboratory studies
• Used for land reclamation and erosion control due to rapid growth and adaptability
• Wood is used for making musical instruments in some Asian cultures
Fun Fact
The ancient Polynesians carried Paper Mulberry as a "canoe plant" across thousands of miles of open Pacific Ocean — from island to island, on double-hulled voyaging canoes — making it one of the most widely distributed cultural plants in the pre-modern world. The finest Japanese washi paper, made from Paper Mulberry bark, is so durable that documents written on it over 1,000 years ago remain perfectly legible today.
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