“With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.” — Chinese Proverb

Silkworms only eat mulberry leaves and the trees were grown traditionally for this purpose. The silkworm spins itself a silk cocoon that is made with a continuous thread of silk. That silk is then made into clothing. The whole process takes time and patience.

We love when it’s time to pick mulberries from our backyard! Not only is the fruit delicious but it also provides medicinal benefits. The different parts of the mulberry tree are used in Chinese medicine for different purposes.

Mulberry fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, K, E, and iron. It’s rich in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins which can lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease.

In Chinese medicine the mulberry fruit is called Sang Shen. It tonifies the blood, yin fluids and benefits the kidneys. It’s restorative for women after childbirth and after long-term sickness. It helps with weakness, fatigue, dizziness, anemia and insomnia. It’s considered a moistening restorative and a nutritive remedy.

Here is a picture of my daughter eating mulberries after she helped me gather them from our tree.