[citation needed] On mature trees, the leaves are generally 5–13 cm (2–5 in) long,[3] unlobed, cordate at the base and rounded to acuminate at the tip, and serrated on the margins.

[10] Two varieties of Morus alba are recognized:[7] The species is native to China and India[11] and is widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere (including the United States, Mexico, Australia, Kyrgyzstan, Argentina, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and many others).

[16] The species is now extensively planted and widely naturalized throughout the warm temperate world and in subarctic regions as well, and would survive in elevations as high as 4,000 metres (13,000 ft).

Mulberry thrives from 28 °N and 55 °N latitude under varying climatic conditions ranging from temperate and tropical situated north of the equator.

Mulberry blooms well in warm, rich, fertile, well-drained, loamy to clayey soils, porous with strong moisture-holding ability.

[20] Cultivation of white mulberry to nourish silkworms began more than 4,700 years ago in China and has since been introduced in other countries.

[8] It has been grown widely from the Indian subcontinent[8] west through Afghanistan and Iran to southern Europe for more than a thousand years for leaves to feed silkworms.

[22][23] According to a coroner's report, Lori McClintock, wife of US politician Tom McClintock, died in December 2021 from dehydration due to gastroenteritis caused by "adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion"; the leaf is used as a dietary supplement or herbal remedy for weight loss and diabetes.

[24] White mulberry leaves are the preferred feedstock for silkworms (Bombyx mori), and sericulture was therefore one of the main reasons of the expansion of the cultivation of this tree.

Mulberry could be an interesting alternative for fodder production as it is rich in protein and energy, and has a high degree of digestibility, in addition to being a fast and vigorous growing plant.

[27] In traditional Chinese medicine, bark, leaves and the fruits are used to treat fever, lower blood pressure, protect liver damage, improve eyesight, and facilitate discharge of urine.

They can be eaten fresh, and they are appreciated for their sweet taste, but the fragile skin of the fruits makes storage and marketing difficult.

The species is a lawn tree across the desert cities of the southwestern United States, prized for its shade and also for its cylindrical berry clusters composed of sweet, purplish-white fruits.