How to Care for a Breadfruit Tree

Breadfruit trees (Artocarpus altilis), which can reach 85 feet high and 6 feet wide, bear bright green leaves with dull, yellow undersides. Male trees have drooping clusters of yellow flowers, while the female tree bears rounded, green seed heads that mature into edible fruit. Although the breadfruit tree originated in the Pacific Islands, it now grows in humid areas across the globe. Take proper care of your breadfruit tree, and it will add interest to your landscape for many years.

Breadfruit sapling or seed
Shade cloth
Water
Garden hose

Instructions

- 1
  Plant your breadfruit tree sapling or seed in fertile, well-draining soil. Purdue University Agriculture recommends planting breadfruit trees only if you live in a humid climate with temperatures ranging from 60 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
  Protect your young breadfruit tree from direct sunlight. Provide your tree with partial shade for the first year by hanging a shade cloth. Trees older than a year need full sun for best growth.
- 3
  Water your breadfruit tree every day until the tree is established. The tree grows best in consistently moist soils. Older trees need only occasional watering.
- 4
  Prune out any branches that have already borne fruit. These branches naturally die back anyway and trimming them off stimulates new shoot growth. Pruning spent branches also prevents the tree from becoming too tall.
- 5
  Keep an eye out for mealybugs. Rid your tree of these pests with a strong blast of water from the garden hose.
- 6
  Harvest breadfruit when they turn yellow and little drops of latex form on the surface of the fruit. Fresh breadfruit typically lasts three to seven days if you keep them in a cool, shady place.

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