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Broussonetia papyrifera Paper mulberry Deciduous tree (1 Page of 5) The Broussonetia papyrifera plant species is found in E. Asia - China. Occasionally naturalized in S.E. Europe[50]. It is a member of the Moraceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Paper mulberry. Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses Medicinal | Edible Uses Latin Name: Broussonetia papyrifera Common Name: Paper mulberry Family: Moraceae Author: (L.)Vent. Known Hazards: None known Mature Height: 9 Mature Width: 9 Habitat: Thickets, mountain ravines and forests[109].
General Uses: A fibre from the bark is used in making paper, cloth, rope etc[46, 61, 114, 171]. The fibre can be produced by beating strips of bark on a flat surface with a wooden mallet. A very fine cloth can be made in this way, the more the bark is beaten the finer the cloth becomes. Larger sizes can be made by overlapping 2 pieces of bark and beating them together. A leather substitute can also be made from the bark[171]. When used for making paper branches are harvested after the leaves have fallen in the autumn, they are steamed and the fibres stripped off. In humid areas this can be done without steaming the branches. The inner and outer bark are then separated by scraping (or simply peeling in humid areas) and the fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye before being hand pounded with mallets. The paper varies in colour if the outer and inner barks are used together or separately[189].
Wood - coarse grained, soft, easily worked, light, not very durable. Used for cups, bowls etc[149, 158, 178, 229].
For further Broussonetia papyrifera gardening information click on one of the blue links below Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses Medicinal | Edible Uses
The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'. View their bibliography

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