Breadfruit

Breadfruit, raw. Scientific identity: Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg; varieties may be seeded or seedless. Edible part: Fruit flesh represented by the USDA record. Exact source form: Breadfruit, raw, corresponding to USDA FoodData Central FDC 171714.

A large tropical fruit cooked as a starchy staple when mature and green, or used sweeter when soft-ripe.

Common name

Breadfruit

Scientific name

Artocarpus altilis

Family

Moraceae

Edition

Core Edibles

Flavor

Potato-like green · sweet ripe

Texture

Starchy · creamy

Season

Seasonal tropical harvest

Best storage

Cool · use ripe promptly

Great for

Roast · boil · mash

Know this

Identify maturity before cooking

Many important breadfruit varieties are seedless. They cannot be grown from grocery-fruit seed; living plant material preserves the variety.

START WITH

A rooted shoot, root cutting, or air-layer from a known edible breadfruit tree

CLIMATE

Humid tropical, frost-free conditions; roughly zones 10b–12

LIGHT

Full sun after establishment

SOIL

Deep, fertile, well-drained soil with room for a large tree

1. 1

   Start it

   Plant a rooted young plant at the same depth it grew in its container at the beginning of a warm rainy period. Water thoroughly and shade briefly if leaves wilt.

2. 2

   Give it room

   Allow at least 25–40 feet from buildings and large trees unless the tree will be regularly pruned.

3. 3

   Water correctly

   Water deeply 1–2 times weekly during the first year when rain is absent; do not waterlog.

4. 4

   Care for it

   Mulch widely, protect from wind, and prune after harvest to keep canopy height reachable.

5. 5

   Harvest

   For savory use, pick full-sized firm fruit when surface segments flatten and latex decreases. For ripe use, allow softening and aroma to develop.

Vegetatively propagated trees can begin fruiting in about 3–5 years.

For savory use, pick full-sized firm fruit when surface segments flatten and latex decreases. For ripe use, allow softening and aroma to develop.