Breadfruit

Large tropical shade tree with bold, deeply lobed glossy leaves creating dramatic architectural presence. Excellent specimen for tropical landscapes, providing dense canopy coverage and year-round visual interest. Creates stunning tropical focal points in parks and large gardens.

Traditionally used in Pacific Island medicine - leaves treat skin infections, circulatory problems, and diabetes. Latex used for skin ailments and bone fractures. Root extracts employed for diarrhea and dysentery. Flowers burned as mosquito repellent. Modern research shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Versatile starchy staple food when cooked - can be roasted, baked, fried, or boiled. Ripe fruit sweet and custard-like, unripe fruit potato-like in texture. Makes excellent chips, fries, and flour. Seeds edible when roasted, taste like chestnuts. One tree can produce 200+ fruits annually, each weighing 1-4 kg.

Native to Pacific Islands, thrives in humid tropical lowlands. Provides habitat and food for bats, birds, and insects. Deep taproot prevents erosion. Fallen leaves create nutrient-rich mulch. Propagated mainly through root suckers as most cultivars are seedless. Important carbon sequestration tree in agroforestry systems.

Evergreen tree 15-25m tall with milky latex. Leaves alternate, 20-60cm long, deeply pinnately lobed, dark green and glossy above. Monoecious with male catkins and female inflorescences. Fruit large, round to oblong, green with polygonal markings, bumpy or smooth surface depending on variety.

Lightweight, flexible wood resistant to termites and marine borers. Traditional Pacific canoe and house construction material. Used for light framing, boxes, surfboards, and fishing floats. Wood yellow when fresh, darkening to golden brown. Latex used as caulking and adhesive. Bark yields fiber for cloth (tapa).

Captain Bligh's HMS Bounty mission aimed to transport breadfruit to Caribbean as slave food, leading to famous mutiny. Single tree can feed a family of four year-round. Name derives from bread-like texture when baked. Some varieties have beautiful variegated leaves. Related to jackfruit and fig.