(Moraceae)

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 White Mulberry (Morus alba)

This fast-growing species is spread by birds that eat mulberry fruits. In the Bosque, white mulberry plants tend to form tall shrubs in the understory below cottonwoods. The leaves are highly variable in shape, from ovate to highly dissected. Regardless of the shape, the leaves are lightly serrated. It's easiest to recognize this understory shrub in the spring, once the fruits form. When ripe those range from dark red to white.

This species holds the world speed record for plants: it ejects its pollen at up to 380 miles (610 km) an hour.