MULBERRY TREE
A botanical riddle solved
Scientific sleuthing by renowned scientists at the Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Xiangshan, Beijing, has confirmed that the ancient white mulberry growing near the Vergelegen Restaurant is indeed a very old variety used in China for the silk industry.
"This makes it probable that the original root stock of this mulberry – which continues to renew itself up to this day – was imported some 300 years ago when the estate was established by Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel," says Richard Arm, Vergelegen's horticulturist.
The governor had received a grant of 400 morgen in February 1700, and for six years applied his formidable talents and energies to transform the barren wilderness into a highly productive plantation with many different enterprises. Van der Stel’s legacy included importing Chinese camphor trees, of which five 300-year-old trees still flourish in front of the historic homestead and have been declared national monuments. It is thought that the mulberry root stock could have been imported at the same time as the camphor trees, when Van der Stel was exploring setting up a commercial silk enterprise in the Cape.
Cuttings of the mulberry were recently sent to the Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany of the Institute of Botany in Beijing, via the Beijing offices of Anglo American, which owns Vergelegen. Scientists verified that the varietal is indeed a Morus alba Linn var multicaulis (Perrott), a mulberry that produces small fruit and is used widely in China for the commercial silk industry. "It is different to the black mulberry from Iran, which has a hard, hairy leaf, large edible fruit, and a dark trunk," says Richard.
| "Multicaulis means ‘many stems,’ and this white mulberry has renewed itself over and over again as the old trunk has grown up and produced branches, that flop over and take root," Richard explains as he shows where a branch takes root. "Despite judicious trimming to keep the rampant mulberry in check, it now spreads over an area about 20 metres in diameter. | |
The mulberry is deciduous, so during winter its skeletal form can be appreciated, while in spring it comes into its own, with small berries appearing in late September and October.
"Mulberry trees are now declared invasive in South Africa," says Richard. "This particular variety, the Morus alba, does not pose a threat though. There is only one on The Estate and it has never shown any signs of self-propagation."
The mulberry is marked by an informative plaque and can be viewed by visitors year-round. | |
A snippet of history
- Morus alba has been cultivated for centuries, chiefly for feeding silkworms (who are actually moths).
- The coveted secret of sericulture (the production of raw silk by raising silkworms) began 5000 years ago in China and later spread to Korea, Japan and southern Asia. During the 11th century Europe started rearing silkworms from eggs and seeds of the white mulberry tree stolen by European merchants.
Did you know
- Silkworms have been used by researchers to study pheromones or sexual attractant substances. The pheromones are released by female moths and the males detect the chemicals with olfactory hairs on their antennae, which allows the male to find the female for mating.
- Today, all wild populations of the silkworm moth are extinct. Having lost its ability to fly due to domestication, it now lives in captivity only.
- The silk industry has a commercial value of USD 200-500 million annually.
- One cocoon is made of a single thread which is approximately 914 metres long.
[Source: The University of Arizona]
