Mulberry or Not

[bowandarrow473]

I cut a few logs of what appeared to be mulberry, the sapwood is a light yellow and the heartwood is a dark, almost brown. Is this what mulberry wood looks like? My mulberry identification is not the best but I am fairly sure it is mulberry, I want to be sure though.

[sleek]

Mulberry heart is usually a light creamy yellow. Lighter than osage. Why dont you think you have osage?

[DavidV]

It could be white mulberry which is pretty dark in the heartwood. Mulberry darkens to a red/brown color with age too.

I think we're going to need pics.

[bowandarrow473]

Sorry I can't post pics, I am in SC right now hunting and have nothing but an IPad. I know it's not osage, the leaves are totally different. Maybe white mulberry, but if that's the case will it be as good for a bow? I have heard that white mulberry is greatly inferior to red.

[Pat B]

What do the leaves look like?  Was there a milky say when you cut it? Are the rings big?

[bowandarrow473]

The leaves look like your standard mulberry leaf ovate with rounded serrations and a pointed tip on this tree it was only one leaf variety, no milky sap to speak of and the rings are about 1/4 in each but it was grown in a very dark, bottomland environment.

[DavidV]

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/mulberry.htm

See if the end grain looks the same, the color is pretty variable apparently.

[bowandarrow473]

End grain matches exactly. Thank you.

[Springbuck]

I'd take all the white mulberry I could get my hands on.  I've made a good handful of very nice sapling or large branch bows from it.  Use the sapwood, heat treat it, and it acts like very good whitewood, like really good quality elm.