Particulars

Arboretum name: Kuwage/Nadesu: Aino Mulberry
Japanese name: Shimaguwa
Species / Family: Morus australis Poir./Moraceae
Okinawan name: Kwāgi, Kongi, Nandēshī

Plant Characteristics

Found in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Southern Kyushu, Shimaguwa (Morus australis/ mulberry) is a medium-sized, deciduous and dioecious tree growing 5–6 meters tall. The egg-shaped leaves are shiny and dark green, and between 6–15 cm in length. Leaves on juvenile shoots vary in shape, some are irregularly lobed while others are not. The flowers bloom around February and March, and female flowers are 5–10 cm long and male flowers are 1.5–3.0 cm long. In April it produces fruit that turns dark red when ripe. The ripe fruit is juicy and sweet.

Uses

Leaves: Food, Feed, Streets, Green Manure
Fruit: Omophagia, Jam, Liqueur 　
Wood: Decorative Materials, High-quality Building Materials, Bed-logs for Jew’s Ear (fungi)
Bark: Papermaking Material
Leaves/Roots: Diuretic Enhancement, Pain Relief
Trees: Sacred Trees, Silk Cultivation

Use as a Sacred Tree

Worshipped as a sacred tree that purifies evil spirits, mulberry is used to make bows for the archery ritual known as Ufuyumi that is conducted during the traditional festival of Shinugu. The mulberry is believed to be related to the God of the Sun. For this reason, people in Okinawa pray to the God in a lightening storm by uttering, “I am under a mulberry tree. Please don’t let a bolt of lightening strike me.”

Calendar of best viewing periods

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