Jackfruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus 'Black Gold'

fruit

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Black Gold) is a large evergreen tropical tree that produces the biggest tree-borne fruit in the world, sometimes weighing over 50 pounds. The green, bumpy fruit is packed with sweet, golden, aromatic bulbs eaten fresh, while the firm unripe fruit is cooked as a meaty vegetable that has become popular as a plant-based pulled-pork substitute. Black Gold is a reliable Australian-bred variety with deep-colored flesh. The tree is fast-growing and frost tender, suited to tropical and warm subtropical climates.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Banana — A fast tropical that provides early shelter and humidity while the tree establishes
• Comfrey — A nutrient accumulator for a mineral-rich mulch
• Lemongrass — A clumping tropical grass that mulches the root zone and deters some pests

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Shoot borer →

  Caterpillars bore into shoots and fruit; prune out and destroy affected growth and keep the tree vigorous

• Mealybugs →

  Cottony clusters on fruit and stems; rinse off, use horticultural oil, and control ants

• Fruit rot →

  Rhizopus and other rots in warm, wet weather; remove affected fruit and improve airflow

🌾 Harvest & storage

Harvest jackfruit for fresh eating when the green skin lightens and yellows, the spiny bumps flatten and spread, the fruit gives slightly to pressure, and it develops a strong sweet aroma and a hollow sound when tapped. For vegetable use, cut the fruit while young and firm. Expect copious sticky latex when cutting, so oil the knife and your hands first.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Ripe jackfruit is high in carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, with sweet aromatic flesh. The unripe fruit is cooked as a fiber-rich, meat-like vegetable, and the seeds are edible when boiled or roasted.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

The ripe pulp and the cooked seeds are edible. All parts of the plant exude a copious sticky white latex, so oil your hands and tools when cutting the fruit. Eat the seeds only after boiling or roasting, never raw.