White mulberry (Morus alba), is a short-lived, fast-growing, small to medium-sized mulberry tree, which grows to 20 m tall. The white mulberry is widely cultivated to feed the silkworms employed in the commercial production of silk. It is also notable for the rapid release of its pollen, which is launched at over half the speed of sound. On young, vigorous shoots, the leaves may be up to 30 cm long. The flowers are single-sex catkins, male catkins are 2–3.5 cm long, and female catkins 1–2 cm long. The fruit is 1–2.5 cm long. The seeds are widely dispersed in the droppings of birds that eat the fruit. White mulberry leaves are the preferred feedstock for silkworms, the fruit are also eaten, often dried or made into wine.