Can the fruit of the paper mulberry be eaten? The latest answer is here
The paper mulberry is also known as the paper mulberry tree, Chushizi, false bayberry, etc. It is a deciduous tree of the genus Broussonetia in the mulberry family, distributed in both temperate and tropical zones of China, and can grow whether in plains, hills, or mountains. Its leaves are a very good pig feed, its bast fiber is a high-grade raw material for papermaking, and its timber is white. Both its roots and seeds can be used as medicine. Now let us take a look together at whether the fruit of the paper mulberry can be eaten!
Can the fruit of the paper mulberry be eaten?
The fruit of the paper mulberry can be eaten. The fruit of the paper mulberry ripens in autumn and can be eaten directly. It tastes sweet and sour and contains effective components such as amino acids, giving it good medicinal and edible value, but the grayish-white membranous persistent calyx and impurities need to be removed. Note that generally the fruit of paper mulberry growing by the roadside or used for landscaping should not be eaten, as it is seriously polluted (pesticide residues, dust, contamination by flies and insects, etc.).
Distribution of the paper mulberry's origin
The paper mulberry is produced throughout northern and southern China, and also in Sikkim, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, and Korea, where it grows wild or is cultivated. In China, the paper mulberry is distributed in the areas of the Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Pearl River basins. It has strong adaptability, tolerates drought and barren soil, tolerates smoke and dust, and has strong resistance to air pollution. It can grow by the water and mostly grows on limestone mountains, and can also grow on acidic and neutral soils. It often grows wild or is planted in wasteland, fields, and beside ditches near villages.
The economic value of the paper mulberry
1. Feed value: The tender leaves of the paper mulberry can be fed to pigs. A fermented feed made mainly from paper mulberry leaves contains no pesticides or hormones. The paper mulberry leaf feed produced by fermentation using biotechnology has a unique fresh fragrance, and pigs like to eat it. After eating it, they sleep more and grow readily. Depending on the different breeds of livestock pigs being raised and their different growth stages, the feed digestibility reaches more than 80%.
2. Medicinal value: In traditional Chinese medicine, the fruit of the paper mulberry is called Chushizi or paper mulberry seed, and together with the root it is used as medicine. Its functions are tonifying the kidney, promoting urination, and strengthening the bones and muscles, and it mainly treats tonifying the kidney, improving eyesight, and strengthening the bones and muscles. The paper mulberry uses its latex, root bark, tree bark, leaves, fruit, and seeds as medicine. In summer and autumn, the latex, leaves, fruit, and seeds are collected; in winter and spring, the root bark and tree bark are collected, used fresh or dried in the shade.
3. Horticultural landscaping: The paper mulberry has dense branches and leaves and many advantages such as resistance, fast growth, and easy propagation. Its fruit is sweet and sour and edible. It is still an important tree species for urban and rural landscaping, especially suitable for greening mining areas and barren hillsides, and can also be chosen as a shade tree and for shelterbelts. It is a tree species with strong resistance to toxic gases and can be planted in areas with severe air pollution.