Musukette, shahtoot in Hindi, is white mulberry, the tree whose leaves feed the silkworm Bombyx mori. Karnataka’s mulberry gardens around Ramanagara and Mysuru supply India’s largest silk industry, and India is the world’s second-largest silk producer. The sweet fruits may be white, pink or purple-black. Its flowers fling pollen with one of the fastest movements known in plants.
- Botanical name
- Morus alba L.
- Family
- Moraceae
- Tamil
- Musukette
- Hindi
- Shahtoot
- Sanskrit
- Tūda
- Parts used
- Fruit, Leaves for silk
- Habit
- Deciduous fruit tree whose leaves feed silkworms
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Musukette
It is a fast-growing deciduous tree or large shrub with milky sap.
The leaves are glossy and smooth, often irregularly lobed on young shoots and unlobed on older ones.
Small green flowers grow in short catkins.
The fruits are clusters of small drupes, white, pink or purple-black, on slender stalks.
Black mulberry has rough, hairy leaves and darker, juicier fruit.
Traditional use of Musukette
Farming
Sericulture farmers prune mulberry as low bushes and cut the leaves daily to feed silkworms.
Karnataka sericulture practice
Kitchen
Ripe shahtoot is eaten fresh in North India in spring and made into sherbet.
North Indian food practice
Chinese medicine
Mulberry leaf, sang ye, and root bark are used in Chinese herbal practice.
Chinese herbal practice
Modern notes on Musukette
Its stamens straighten suddenly and release pollen at about half the speed of sound.
Leaf extracts contain compounds studied for slowing sugar absorption after meals.
Its pollen is a cause of spring allergy in cities where it is planted widely.
Musukette safety
Eat only ripe fruit; unripe berries and the milky sap can upset the stomach. People with pollen allergy may react in spring.
Ecology and sourcing
It is native to northern China and was spread with the silk industry.
Birds eat the fruit and spread the seeds.
It has become invasive in parts of North America.
Related plants
Also in Moraceae
Questions about Musukette
Do silkworms eat white mulberry?
Yes. It is their main food.
Are white mulberries always white?
No. The fruit can be white, pink or purple-black.
Is Musukette shahtoot?
Yes, in most of India.
Where is Musukette grown for silk?
Mainly in Karnataka.
How fast does the Musukette’s pollen fly?
At about half the speed of sound.
Sources
- Morus alba L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q157307 (Morus alba)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.