University of Florida Plant Information Jackfruit Growing in the Florida Home Landscape

Scientific names: Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.

Synonyms: Artocarpus integrifolius Auct.; A. integra Merr.

Other common names: English—jakfruit, jak; Spanish— jaca; Portuguese—jaca, jaqueira Family: Moraceae

Relatives in the same family: Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), fig (Ficus sp.), mulberry (Morus sp.), champedak (A. integer), kwai muk (A. lingnanensis), Ficus benjamina.

Origin: Probably India

Distribution: India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, Kenya, Uganda, Mauritius, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Jackfruit is not widely cultivated in the US but may be found in south Florida and Hawaii.

Importance: Jackfruit is important in India and other Asian countries like Sri Lanka, southern China, Malaysia, and Myanmar. There is limited production in Australia, Mauritius, Brazil, Surinam, Jamaica, Mexico, Hawaii, and south Florida.

1. This document is HS882, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date May 2002. Revised October 2005 and November 2016. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Jonathan H. Crane, professor and tropical fruit crops specialist, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center; Carlos F. Balerdi, professor and multicounty tropical fruit crops Extension agent (retired), UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County; and Ian Maguire, media artisti (former), UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.