Jackfruit Tree
Artocarpus heterophyllus
📖 About this plant
Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, with individual fruits regularly weighing 10-25 kg and the record holders exceeding 50 kg. Native to the Western Ghats rainforests of India, jackfruit has been cultivated across South and Southeast Asia for over 6,000 years and is the state fruit of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The tree is a member of the Moraceae (mulberry/fig) family and produces its massive fruits on the trunk and main branches (a botanical trait called cauliflory) rather than on twig ends — an evolutionary adaptation allowing large fruits to be supported by the trees structural strength. The fruit exterior is covered with short, blunt spines; when ripe, it yields sweet golden-yellow arils (seed pods) that taste like a cross between banana, mango, pineapple, and bubblegum. The large seeds within are also edible when boiled or roasted, with a chestnut-like flavor. Unripe jackfruit has a meaty texture and is widely used as a vegetarian meat substitute globally — its fibrous pulp shreds like pulled pork or chicken, making it popular in vegan and vegetarian cuisine. The tree is drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and extraordinarily productive — a mature tree can yield 100-200 fruits per year. In India, jackfruit is celebrated as a versatile ingredient: ripe arils are eaten fresh or made into desserts; raw fruit becomes savory curries, kathal biryani, and chips; seeds are roasted and ground into flour.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun
Regular when young; drought-tolerant once established
High (60-90%)
20-35°C
Well-draining sandy loam; pH 5.0-7.5
Balanced NPK 2-3 times per year
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Western Ghats of India
- 📏 Max height
- 10-25 m
- 📐 Spread
- 6-12 m
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring to early summer; cauliflorous (on trunk)
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Yellowish-green spikes
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Dark green glossy lobed leaves
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 60-100+ years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast — fruits in 3-7 years
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic; latex in unripe fruit can irritate skin
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds, grafting, air layering
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic; latex in unripe fruit can irritate skin
Common issues
- Dieback
- pink disease
- fruit rot
- rhizopus rot
- blossom blight
- jackfruit borer
- mealybugs
- scale insects
- gummosis
💡 Care tips
- Plant in full sun in deep, well-draining soil.
- Space trees 8-12 m apart — they need room.
- Water regularly for the first 2-3 years
- mature trees are drought-tolerant.
- Mulch heavily around the base.
- Prune young trees to develop a strong central leader and accessible branching.
- Apply balanced fertilizer 2-3 times per year.
- Trees begin fruiting in 3-7 years from seed
- grafted trees bear in 2-3 years.
- Harvest fruits when they sound hollow when tapped and emit a sweet aroma
- for culinary use as a vegetable, harvest unripe (full-size but still firm).
- Use a knife coated with oil to cut the fruit — the latex is very sticky.
- Rub hands and knife with cooking oil before processing to prevent latex adhesion.
- Ripe arils can be frozen for months.
- In home gardens, jackfruit makes an excellent shade and fruit tree for tropical climates — one tree can feed a family.
