History
It is thought that breadfruit trees spread
throughout the Pacific Region by migrating Polynesians and were brought from
the Samoan Island of Upalu to Oahu in the 12th Century. Its common name in
Hawaiian is ulu, as it is also in Samoa, Rotuma and Tuvalu. The fruit is a
staple food in many Pacific Island cultures.
The Movie
Some will
remember the movies, Mutiny on the Bounty, and The Bounty. Did you know it was all about breadfruit? Due to several
famines in Jamaica between 1780 and 1786, plantation owners in the British West
Indies petitioned King George III to import breadfruit trees in order to
provide a food source for the slaves. Captain Bligh sailed to Tahiti in 1787 to
obtain breadfruit plants to transport them to the British West Indies. On that
calamitous voyage, he lost 1,015 potted breadfruit plants. Was the true reason
for the mutiny the fact that he rationed water to his crew in order to give
ample water the plants? Was Captain Blight a true gardener at heart? For more
details, see the movie or read the book. After being forced overboard in a
nineteen foot cutter, Bligh miraculously navigated himself and some of his faithful
crew to safety, crossing almost 4,000 miles.
After returning to England, Bligh set sail
again, in 1791, for Tahiti, and this time he was able to successfully deliver 5
different varieties of breadfruit trees, totaling 2,126 plants, to Jamaica in
1793. The trees flourished and were
subsequently planted in other islands of the West Indies as well as Central
America and northern South America. Ironically, it is reported that the slaves
rejected the fruit. But today, Bligh is revered as a hero in Jamaica.
Culture
Breadfruit
trees are medium sized, growing to about 50 tall at maturity. There are
hundreds of different varieties of breadfruit, both seeded and seedless types.
It is truly a tropical plant, more susceptible to cold than the mango. The
breadfruit tree is best grown in deep, fertile, well-drained soil. The optimal
growing range temperature is 60° to 100°F.
Due to the large number of different varieties of breadfruit, however,
trees do exhibit a wide range of adaptability to ecological conditions.
Propagation
Seeded
breadfruit varieties can be grown from seeds. But it has been noted that they
do not run true to type. Seedless
breadfruit is often propagated by transplanting suckers which spring up
naturally from the roots. Pruning the tree will increase the number of suckers
produced, as will exposing and injuring a root. New branches and shoots can
also be air layered.
Harvest
Breadfruits
are abundant in Hawaii from July to February.
Fruit is picked when mature, which is indicated by the appearance of
small drops of white latex on the surface. Breadfruit can be eaten before it is
ripe, as a vegetable, or eaten as a fruit when it ripens. For the former, it is picked while still
starchy and is boiled or roasted. Fully ripe fruit are sweeter and often baked
whole. The seeds are boiled, steamed, roasted and eaten with salt. The leaves
are eaten by domestic livestock.
Health
Breadfruit
is high in carbohydrates and a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. The
trees are relatively free of pests and insects; fruit flies will infest ripe
fruit. The following websites contain an abundance of information for an
in-depth study of breadfruit trees.
