The one most people already know, even if half our other Artocarpus trees are total mysteries to visitors.
The Basics
Jackfruit, Artocarpus heterophyllus, is a large tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae.
Origin and Habitat
Native to South and Southeast Asia, particularly the rainforests of the Western Ghats in India.
What It Looks Like
A big tree producing the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, a huge, spiky, green to yellow-green pod that can weigh well over 40 pounds.
Uses and Flavor
Sweet, tropical, and fibrous when ripe, often compared to a mix of banana, mango, and pineapple. Unripe, it’s used as a savory meat substitute in a lot of cooking, which has made it popular well beyond its native range in recent years.
Growing It Here
Part of the big Artocarpus family we’ve been slowly collecting, alongside breadfruit, breadnut, pedalai, and marang. Jackfruit’s the familiar face of that whole group for most visitors.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Fruit flies on ripe fruit are the most likely issue, in line with its Artocarpus relatives, though nothing specific to report from ours yet.
Kenta’s Take
It’s nice having one plant in the Artocarpus collection that people actually recognize, since it makes explaining the weirder cousins a lot easier.