Which tree's leaves are the main food of domesticated silkworms?

Which tree’s leaves are the main food of domesticated silkworms? White mulberry leaves are the preferred food of domesticated silkworms, Bombyx mori.

White mulberry, Morus alba, is a fast-growing tree native to China and widely cultivated elsewhere. Its leaves provide the primary nourishment for silkworm caterpillars, which chew them continuously while growing through several larval stages. The caterpillars eventually spin cocoons from silk fibers produced by specialized glands.

The connection between this tree and silk production is ancient. Sericulture—the raising of silkworms for silk—encouraged the cultivation and spread of white mulberry across Asia and later into other silk-producing regions. The tree is also called common mulberry or silkworm mulberry, reflecting its economic importance.

The word “white” does not mean every fruit is white; individual trees can produce fruit that changes from pale to pink, red, or dark as it ripens. Another common mix-up is assuming any mulberry is equally suitable. Silkworms can eat other Morus species, but white mulberry is the standard and preferred feedstock in commercial sericulture.