How to Grow Breadfruit
- To start the tree from a root cutting look for suckers growing out of the roots. ...
- You can also coax the tree to grow suckers by pruning it heavily. ...
- Look for the feeder root that’s connected to the sucker and cut off any lateral roots coming out of it. ...
- Fill a pot with a general-purpose potting mix with plenty of sand and peat moss in it.
How to grow a breadfruit tree?
This is the easiest way to grow a breadfruit tree. You’ll need to have access to a mature tree and dig up its roots. Cut off a lateral root with the feeders intact and plant it in a container filled with sandy soil. Keep the root at the same depth it was on the mother tree. Water the soil and place the container in partial shade.
How much fruit does a breadfruit tree produce each season?
One breadfruit tree can produce 200 kilograms (450 lb) each season. Because breadfruit trees usually produce large crops at certain times of the year, preservation of harvested fruit is an issue.
Where does breadfruit grow in the US?
The fruit is grown in South Florida in the United States or imported from the West Indies, particularly Jamaica, from June through October, sometimes year around, and is found in local specialty markets. The breadfruit tree attains a height of about 85 feet (26 m.) and has large, thick, deeply notched leaves.
What is the origin of breadfruit?
Breadfruit ( Artocarpus altilis) is native to the Malayan Archipelago and gained some recognition due to its affiliation with Captain Bligh’s famed ship, the Bounty, in 1788. Aboard the Bounty were thousands of breadfruit trees bound for the islands of the West Indies.
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Does breadfruit grow from seed?
Breadfruit tree propagation can be done by seed. However, breadfruit seeds lose their viability in just a few weeks, so seeds need to be planted almost immediately after harvesting them from the ripened fruits. Unlike many plants, breadfruit relies on shade for germination and proper growth.
Where does breadfruit grow?
The trees have been widely planted in tropical regions, including lowland Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. In addition to the fruit serving as a staple food in many cultures, the light, sturdy timber of breadfruit has been used for outriggers, ships, and houses in the tropics.
Where does breadfruit grow best?
Growing Conditions Breadfruit has a wide range of adaptability to ecological conditions. It grows best in equatorial lowlands below 600-650 m but is found at elevations up to 1550 m.
Is breadfruit hard to grow?
Breadfruit Tree Propagation – How To Propagate Breadfruit Trees From Cuttings. Breadfruit trees are handsome and fast growing, and it's not hard to grow breadfruit from cuttings.
Is breadfruit a fruit or a vegetable?
fruitBreadfruit is an extremely versatile fruit that can be prepared and eaten at all stages of development and maturity. Mature fruit is the most desirable to use for most dishes, due to its potato-like texture.
Can you eat breadfruit raw?
Breadfruit can be eaten raw when ripe or cooked when unripe. Use common potato cooking methods to cook unripe breadfruit. The white flesh has a bread-like texture and a flavour somewhat like an artichoke or chestnut.
How long does breadfruit take to fruit?
Breadfruit grown from seed will fruit in 5 to 10 years. Seedless varieties must be vegetatively propagated and this method is also preferred for seeded types as the trees are clones of the mother plant.
How long do breadfruit trees live?
Although trees can begin fruiting a few short years, the breadfruit tree itself doesn't actually reach full maturity until it reaches 30 or 40 years and can live up to 80 years.
Is breadfruit same as jackfruit?
Jackfruit has a higher sugar (19.08 g vs 11 g) and fat content than breadfruit. Both the seeds of jackfruit and breadfruit are edible. Breadfruit delivers a complete protein while jackfruit is incomplete (meaning it does not contain all essential amino acids).
How often do breadfruit trees bear fruit?
Each tree produces both male and female flowers. The flowers need fruit bats to pollinate although some cultivars are self-pollinating. After pollination, the fruits develop. Each tree bears about 200 fruits on average every year.
Does breadfruit taste like bread?
This prickly oval fruit is very popular throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, and when cooked, it tastes similar to—you guessed it! —freshly-baked bread. Breadfruit is most commonly used as a vegetable, and is a staple food in many tropical countries.
How tall does a breadfruit tree get?
Trees can reach heights of 21 m (70 ft) or more at maturity, more commonly around 12–15 m (40–50 ft). The trunk may be large as 2 m (6.6 ft) in diameter, occasionally growing to a height of 4 m or more (13 ft) before branching.
Is breadfruit same as jackfruit?
Jackfruit has a higher sugar (19.08 g vs 11 g) and fat content than breadfruit. Both the seeds of jackfruit and breadfruit are edible. Breadfruit delivers a complete protein while jackfruit is incomplete (meaning it does not contain all essential amino acids).
Is breadfruit good for health?
Breadfruit is packed with nutrients, which lower cholesterol, fight infections, promote youthful skin and healthy hair. Since it contains a good amount of fiber that reduces the rate of glucose absorption, it is a diabetic friendly food.
Does breadfruit taste like bread?
This prickly oval fruit is very popular throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, and when cooked, it tastes similar to—you guessed it! —freshly-baked bread. Breadfruit is most commonly used as a vegetable, and is a staple food in many tropical countries.
Can breadfruit be poisonous?
This plant is toxic to dogs; the fruit, leaves, flowers, and stems all contain calcium oxalates and raphides. Mexican breadfruit poisoning in dogs occurs when dogs ingest any part of the Mexican breadfruit plant.
How to grow breadfruit from a root?
Breadfruits grow better from a root sucker, not from a cutting of the tree. Often a root sucker will grow from an exposed root or through the soil. To get one , gently dig around the cutting to expose the root. Then, cut off the shoot, making sure it’s at least nine inches long and has at least a few leaves.
How long does it take for breadfruit to grow?
When the breadfruits are about two feet tall, transplant outside to where you are planting them permanently. Breadfruit trees grown this way take up to seven years to fruit. That’s why I plant trees bought from a nursery, but it’s fun to create your own plant from seeds and root suckers.
What is Breadfruit?
Breadfruit ( Artocarpus altilis) can be found growing worldwide, used for food, medicine, boat building, and to prevent erosion of hillsides. All parts of the tree are used, and they are an important part of the ecosystem, wherever they grow.
Why does my breadfruit tree look like it has been burned?
Spores land on the sticky honeydew and reproduce and before you know it, your breadfruit tree looks like it has been burned all over. Breadfruit won’t die from sooty mold, but they will suffer from the pests that cause the problem. That’s why the best remedy for sooty mold is to rid the breadfruit of the pests.
What is the best soil for breadfruit?
One of the great things about breadfruit is it can thrive in a variety of soils, but they prefer soil that is fertile, deep, and drains well. Soil with a bit of sand is ideal. It needs a pH of 6.0 to 7.4. Breadfruits grow big.
Why prune breadfruit?
Because breadfruit grows so big, it’s wise to prune regularly to maintain a manageable size.
How many breadfruit varieties are there?
Varieties of Breadfruit. There are hundreds of breadfruit varieties, and many look completely different from the standard green orb often seen in photos. Some are perfect for home growing, so we’ll cover those varieties.
How long does it take for breadfruit to grow?
Plant each seedling into an individual pot shortly after germination, which generally takes 10 to 14 days. You’ll want to continue its care in this container for at least a year, at which time you can plant the young breadfruit trees outdoors in light, well-drained soil. Look for a planting location in partial shade.
How to propagate breadfruit?
Breadfruit is usually propagated by taking root cuttings or shoots, which produce a tree identical to the parent plant. Other common methods include layering, in-vitro propagation, or grafting.
What is breadfruit?
Breadfruit is a handsome, fast-growing tropical tree that can produce more than 200 cantaloupe-sized fruits in a single season. The starchy, fragrant fruit tastes something like bread, but it’s rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and high-quality protein. It’s not surprising that breadfruit is an important source of nutrition in many parts ...
Can you grow breadfruit from seed?
Once established, breadfruit trees require very little care. If you’re ambitious, you can definitely try growing breadfruit from seed, but keep in mind the fruit won’ t develop true to type. If you’re interested in planting breadfruit seeds, read on for more information on breadfruit seed propagation.
What type of soil does breadfruit grow in?
Breadfruit is able to grow in coral sands and saline soils.
Where did breadfruit originate?
According to DNA fingerprinting studies, the wild seeded ancestor of breadfruit is the breadnut ( Artocarpus camansi) which is native to New Guinea, the Maluku Island s, and the Philippines. It was one of the canoe plants spread by Austronesian voyagers around 3,000 years ago into Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, where it was not native.
What is the name of the tree that grows breadfruit?
Sitodium altile Parkinson ex F.A.Zorn. Breadfruit ( Artocarpus altilis) is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus) family ( Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of Artocarpus camansi originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, ...
What crops did the Austronesian expansion carry?
Extent of the Austronesian expansion that carried crops like breadfruit, bananas, and coconuts throughout the Indo-Pacific islands. A. camansi was domesticated and selectively bred in Polynesia, giving rise to the mostly seedless Artocarpus altilis.
How many pounds of breadfruit can be grown in a year?
One breadfruit tree can produce 200 kilograms (450 lb) each season. Because breadfruit trees usually produce large crops at certain times of the year, preservation of harvested fruit is an issue. One traditional preservation technique is to bury peeled and washed fruits in a leaf-lined pit where they ferment over several weeks and produce a sour, sticky paste. So stored, the product may endure a year or more, and some pits are reported to have produced edible contents more than 20 years later. Fermented breadfruit mash goes by many names such as mahr, ma, masi, furo, and bwiru, among others.
How many grapefruits do breadfruit trees produce?
Breadfruit is one of the highest-yielding food plants, with a single tree producing up to 200 or more grapefruit-sized fruits per season, requiring limited care. In the South Pacific, the trees yield 50 to 150 fruits per year, usually round, oval or oblong weighing 0.25–6 kg.
How tall do breadfruit trees grow?
Breadfruit trees grow to a height of 26 m (85 ft). The large and thick leaves are deeply cut into pinnate lobes. All parts of the tree yield latex, which is useful for boat caulking. The trees are monoecious, with male and female flowers growing on the same tree.
Cultivation
Description
- The breadfruit tree attains a height of about 85 feet and has large, thick, deeply notched leaves. The entire tree yields a milky juice called latex when cut, which is useful for a number of things, most notably, boat caulking. The trees have both male and female flowers growing on the same …
Characteristics
- The resulting fruit is round to oval, 6-8 long and about 8 across. The skin is thin and green, gradually ripening into more of a pale green with some reddish-brown areas and mottled with irregular polygon-shaped bumps. At maturity, the fruit is white inside and starchy; when green or under ripe, the fruit is hard and starchy like a potato. Breadfruit is mostly utilized as a vegetable …
Habitat
- Another interesting breadfruit tree fact is that it is closely related to the breadnut as well as to the jackfruit. This equatorial lowland species can most often be found below elevations of 2,130 feet but may be seen at heights up to 5,090 feet. It will thrive in either neutral to alkaline soil composed of sand, sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay. It even tolerates saline soils.
Uses
- The Polynesian peoples transported root cuttings and air layered plants over great ocean distances, so entranced were they with the plant. Not only was breadfruit an important food source, but they used the lightweight, termite resistant wood for buildings and canoes. The sticky latex produced by the tree was utilized not only as a caulking agent, but also to trap birds. The w…
Variations
- The traditional staple of the Hawaiian people, poi, which is made of taro root, can also be substituted with breadfruit or augmented with it. The resultant breadfruit poi is referred to as poi ulu.
Overview
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of Artocarpus camansi originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippines. It was initially spread to Oceania via the Austronesian expansion. It was further spread to other tropical regions of the world during the Colonial Era. …
Distribution and habitat
Breadfruit is an equatorial lowland species. It has been spread from its Pacific source to many tropical regions.
In 1769, Joseph Banks was stationed in Tahiti as part of the Endeavour expedition commanded by Captain James Cook. The late-18th-century quest for cheap, high-energy food sources for slaves in British colonies prompted colonial administrators and plantation owners to call for breadfruit to …
Description
Breadfruit trees grow to a height of 26 metres (85 feet). The large and thick leaves are deeply cut into pinnate lobes. All parts of the tree yield latex, which is useful for boat caulking.
The trees are monoecious, with male and female flowers growing on the same tree. The male flowers emerge first, followed shortly afterward by the female flowers. The latter grow into capitula, which are capable of pollination just three days later. Pollination occurs mainly by fruit bats, but …
Taxonomy
According to DNA fingerprinting studies, the wild seeded ancestor of breadfruit is the breadnut (Artocarpus camansi) which is native to New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippines. It was one of the canoe plants spread by Austronesian voyagers around 3,000 years ago into Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, where it was not native.
A. camansi was domesticated and selectively bred in Polynesia, giving rise to the mostly seedles…
Uses
Breadfruit is a staple food in many tropical regions. Most breadfruit varieties produce fruit throughout the year. Both ripe and unripe fruit have culinary uses; unripe breadfruit is cooked before consumption. Before being eaten, the fruit are roasted, baked, fried or boiled. When cooked, the taste of moderately ripe breadfruit is described as potato-like, or similar to freshly baked bread.
In culture
On Puluwat in the Caroline Islands, in the context of sacred yitang lore, breadfruit (poi) is a figure of speech for knowledge. This lore is organized into five categories: war, magic, meetings, navigation, and breadfruit.
According to an etiological Hawaiian myth, the breadfruit originated from the sacrifice of the war god Kū. After deciding to live secretly among mortals as a farmer, Kū married and had children. …
See also
• Breadnut (Artocarpus camansi)
• Cempedak (Artocarpus integer)
• Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
• Treculia – known as African breadfruit
External links
• Breadfruit Institute