Is Red Mulberry natural or synthetic?

A fantasy or concept note, not a single material.

Red Mulberry

AccordFRUITS, VEGETABLES & NUTSfruity · sweet · fresh

HeartPyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

1Origins

Editorial noteWe own no rights to this material, its name or its trademark. This entry is independent editorial journalism, published under freedom of expression.

Specimen

Morus rubra

Fantasy/Concept

Definition

Morus rubra — the North American native mulberry, distinct from the Asian Morus alba and Mediterranean Morus nigra. In perfumery a reconstructed accord, deeper and tarter than white mulberry, less wine-dark than black.

WOODY SWEET FRUITY WARM FRESH

MORUS RUBRA RED MULBERRY TREE

Type: Accord
Olfactive family: Fruity
Subfamily: Berry notes
Cluster: Berry notes
Source: fruit
Chemical class: fantasy note (accord)

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

North America

Scent

Red mulberry's reconstruction sits between blackberry and grape — deeper and slightly tarter than white mulberry, less wine-dark than the European black. Damascenone supplies the rose-fruity backbone, raspberry ketone the berry signature, ethyl maltol the honeyed warmth. The accord reads as a North American berry caught between sweet and tart, fading quickly on skin.

In PREMIEREPEAU

DISCOVERY SET7 × 2 ml →EXTRAIT DE PARFUMThe seven extraits →

The Full Story

Red mulberry (Morus rubra) is the mulberry of eastern North America — distinct from Asian white mulberry (Morus alba, the silkworm tree) and Mediterranean black mulberry (Morus nigra). The species range covers the eastern United States from Ontario south to Florida and west to the Great Plains. The fruit is deep red to nearly black at ripeness, sweet, slightly tart, somewhere between blackberry and white mulberry in profile [A].

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

In perfumery

Red mulberry has no commercial perfumery extract — the fruit is too perishable and its aroma too water-soluble. Any 'red mulberry' note in fragrance is a reconstruction, built around damascenone (CAS 23696-85-7), raspberry ketone, ethyl maltol and a small ester palette — broadly similar to a generic mulberry accord but pushed slightly darker and tarter than white mulberry, less wine-dark than the European M. nigra reconstruction.

Sources & Notes

[A] Kew Plants of the World Online — Morus rubra distribution and taxonomy. powo.science.kew.org.

Did You Know?

Red mulberry trees were historically significant to Native American cultures, giving food, medicine, and even materials for basket weaving.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

Not commercially extracted for perfumery; reproduced synthetically or via accords

Formula: N/A — olfactory accord
CAS: N/A — olfactory accord
Botanical: Morus rubra
Appearance: Dark red to nearly black elongated aggregate fruit, 2-3 cm long
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: MORUS RUBRA RED MULBERRY TREE

IFRA status

See note

Not applicable: accord or concept, not a single material

Physical properties

Note: N/A — olfactory accord / concept

In Perfumery

In perfumery, red mulberry is a heart note, adding juicy, fruity character to fragrances. It works alongside floral notes such as jasmine and rose, as well as with gourmand elements like vanilla and caramel. The versatility of red mulberry allows it to complement both bright, youthful compositions and deeper, more structured scents, making it a valuable ingredient for modern perfumers.

Role in the formula

01modifier

02signature note

03lifting agent

04blender

05naturalizer

06volume builder

Available as

synthetic accord fantasy note