If you have a jackfruit tree probably you are wondering why the jackfruit grows on the tree trunks and not more so on the branches?
Well, there is a reason why jackfruit grows on tree trunks and not branches, so let’s get right into it.
Did you know that Jackfruit is the only fruit that grows its fruit from the trunk?
Yes, So What makes this possible?
Most jackfruit trees bear their fruits on the trunk or on the base of older branches of the tree away from where the female flowering usually emerges.
Why Jackfruit Grow On Tree Trunks?
The reason why jackfruit trees bear their fruit on the trunk or older matured branches is that they are strong enough to hold the fruit until it ripens. Nevertheless Given that jackfruit is the heaviest among the tree-borne fruits, they can reach up to 35 lb in weight.
What Is A Jackfruit?
Jackfruits are the largest-borne fruit in the world, they can reach up to 50 pounds in weight and up to 36 inches long, and 20 inches in diameter. The exterior of the jackfruit compound fruit is light green to yellow when ripen.
The jackfruit interior looks and consists of large edible bulbs of yellow flesh, that have a similarly flavored flesh and encloses a smooth, oval, light-brown seed.
Most Jackfruit seeds are 3-4 to 1-2 inches long and 1-2 to 3-4 inches thick and are white and crisp within. There can be up to 100 or more seeds found in a single jackfruit, which are viable for no more than 3 or 4 days.
How to Know When A Jackfruit Is Ripe?
When jackfruits are mature and ripe, the unopened jackfruit emits a strong notable odor, resembling that of decayed onions, while the pulp of the opened fruit smells like pineapple and banana.
There are two main varieties of Jackfruits. In the other variety of the fruit, it has small, fibrous, soft, mushy, but sweet carpels with a texture that tastes somewhat similar to a raw oyster.
However, the other variety is crisp and almost crunchy though it does not quite have the same sweetness. This variety is more important commercially and is more palatable to western tastes and countries.
Where Did Jackfruit Origin From?
Jackfruits are known to be indigenous to the rain forests of the Western Ghats of India. They spread early on to other parts of India territories, Southeast Asia, the East Indies, and ultimately throughout the Philippines. It is often planted in central and eastern Africa also and is fairly popular in counties like Brazil, the Caribbean, and Surinam.
How Adaptable Are Jackfruit?
Jackfruit trees grow best in humid tropical climates. A mature jackfruit tree can also survive temperatures of about 27 F in southern Florida. However, these were frozen to large limbs.
Younger unmatured jackfruit trees are likely to die if the temperatures are below 32 F. However, unlike its other relatives such as breadfruit, the jackfruit is not injured by cool/cooler weather several degrees above freezing.
jackfruit tree that bears today in the USA such as southern Florida is valued mainly as curiosities. There are also several jackfruit trees know to be planted in Asian countries where an exhibit is located at the San Diego Zoo. What they will do or how high they will grow remains a mystery. Nonetheless, jackfruit trees are too large to grow in containers as other plants.
So, if you have heard about jackfruit and have not tried it yet you are missing out big time. There are also many crucial benefits of jackfruit on the body too such as cancer prevention.
Finally, jackfruit trees generally grow big so they are not suitable for containers. You will need lots of yard space to grow a jackfruit tree.
