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Artocarpus altilis
Moraceae FAMILY

Artocarpus altilis

Artocarpus altilis

Edibility
5/5
Medicinal
4/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthFast

A plant of the humid tropics, growing best in lowland areas below 650 metres, though also succeeding at elevations up to 1,550 metres[1]. It prefers a mean annual temperature in the range of 21 - 32°c, tolerating it as low as 12°c and as high as 40°c[2, 1]. Plants can be injured if temperatures drop below 5°c[3]. Rainfall should be in the range1,500 - 2,500mm, exceptionally to 3,000mm[1]. It prefers rainfall of fairly equal distribution but is quite tolerant of short dry periods[1]. Prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil[2, 4]. Tolerant of a variety of soils so long as they are well drained[3]. Young plants need some shade, but require increasing light levels as they mature[2]. Trees usually produce two crops per year[3]. Plants begin to crop when about 3 - 6 years old, eventually producing up to 700 fruits per tree annually[2]. There are two main forms of the breadfruit, one with seeds and another that is seedless[4]. The seedless form is the most common[4]. There are some named varieties of each form[2, 5].

Propagation

Seed - best extracted from ripe fruits and sown immediately as they lose viability within a few weeks[2, 1]. They are planted about 5 cm apart and 1 cm deep[1]. The seed germinates best at a temperature of 24 - 27c[2]. Some 85% germinate about 2 weeks after sowing[1]. The germination bed should be kept moist. Seedlings can be transplanted into individual containers as soon as they sprout[1]. They grow quickly and are ready for planting in the field when they are about 1 year old[1]. Root cuttings. These are best collected during the dormant season immediately preceding the renewal of growth, or at the beginning of that period, when carbohydrate stores in roots are highest[1]. The dormant period (2-3 months) begins immediately after the crop ripens[1]. Air layering. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Artocarpus+altilis>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics : an Inventory — Martin, F. W.; Campbell, C. W.; Rubertbe, R. M. · U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service · 1987 ↩︎A booklet giving terse details of almost 300 species of edible fruits, plus regional lists of Botanical and Common names for over 2,500 less well-known edible fruits of the tropics.
  4. [4]Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. — Barwick. M. · Thames & Hudson, London · 2004 · ISBN 0-500-51181-0 ↩︎A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.
  5. [5]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  6. [6]Trees Commonly Cultivated in SE Asia — Jensen. M. · FAO Regional Office, Bangkok. · 1999 · ISBN 974-89377-5-5 ↩︎
  7. [7]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  8. [8]Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific — WHO Regional Publications, Manilla. · 1998 · ISBN 92-9061-118-9 ↩︎Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.
  9. [9]Medicinal Plants of the Guianas — DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. · Smithsonian Museum · http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html ↩︎A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
  10. [10]Useful Fiber Plants of the World — Dodge C.R. · USDA; Washington. · 1897 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
  11. [11]Agroforestry in the Pacific Islands: Systems for Sustainability — W.C. Clarke and R.R. Thaman (Editors) · United Nations University Press, Tokyo · 1993 · http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80824e/80824E00.htm#Contents · ISBN 92-808-0824-9 ↩︎The guide includes information on 100 species of plants for Agroforestry. It is also available on the web at the address given above.
  12. [12]Timber Notes - Light Hardwoods VII (Sentang, Sepetir, Sesendok, Terap, Terentang) — Gan K. S.; Choo K. T.; Lim S. C. · Timber Technology Centre, FRIM; Kuala Lumpur. · 1999 · https://info.frim.gov.my/infocenter/booksonline/ttb/TTBno17.pdf · ISBN 139-258 ↩︎An excellent series of leaflets, this one gives information on the wood of several species of light hardwoods. It can be downloaded as a PDF document from the Internet.