noun
mulberry; mulberry tree
Refers to the tree or its leaves, especially in the context of sericulture (silkworm raising).
蚕は桑の葉を食べる。
Silkworms eat mulberry leaves.
庭に桑の木を植えた。
I planted a mulberry tree in the garden.
The origin is uncertain, but the word is native Japanese. The kanji 桑 is a pictograph of a mulberry tree.