Jackfruit (Kathal) Tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus): Where It Grows in India and How to Plant It
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Jackfruit, kathal (कटहल) in Hindi, is Artocarpus heterophyllus, the big evergreen fruit tree native to India. How to plant a grafted kathal tree and when, where to plant it, how to raise a plant from seed, whether it can live in a pot, how to recognise it, three years of care and what to watch out for.
Benefits
Benefits
Jackfruit is grown first for food, but a mature tree also gives deep shade, fodder and valuable timber.
- Food: ICRAF notes that young fruit is cooked as a vegetable or pickled, ripe bulbs are eaten fresh or made into jam and sweets, and the seeds are eaten boiled or roasted.
- Fodder: ICRAF says leaves are lopped for fodder in India and fallen fruit is fed to cattle.
- Timber: ICRAF describes the wood as yellow turning red with age, resistant to termites and decay, and good for furniture, construction and musical instruments.
- Shade and soil: the dense crown gives shade, and ICRAF notes the tree is planted to control soil erosion on farms, as a windbreak at close spacing, and as a living support for pepper vines.
- Latex: ICRAF records the latex being used as a glue for mending pots and buckets.
- Traditional use: ICRAF records folk-medicine uses of the leaves, roots, latex and seeds in several countries. Traditional use does not prove that any part works or is safe, so talk to a qualified doctor before using any part as medicine.
- Edible: ICRAF notes young fruit is cooked as a vegetable or pickled, ripe bulbs are eaten fresh or made into jam and sweets, and seeds are eaten boiled or roasted.
- Fodder: ICRAF says leaves are lopped for fodder in India and fallen fruit is fed to cattle.
- Timber: ICRAF describes the wood as yellow turning red, resistant to termites and decay, and used for furniture, construction and musical instruments.
- Shade and cooling: The dense, dome-shaped crown gives deep shade (ICRAF).
- Soil health: ICRAF notes jackfruit is planted to control soil erosion on farms.
- Other: ICRAF records its use as a windbreak at close spacing, as a living support for pepper vines, and its latex as a glue.
- Medicinal: ICRAF records folk-medicine uses of the leaves, roots, latex and seeds in several countries. Traditional use does not prove that any part works or is safe; talk to a qualified doctor before using any part as medicine.
- Cultural: Declared the official state fruit of Kerala in March 2018 (news report); the English name jackfruit comes from the Malayalam chakka (Flowers of India).
Source: Orwa C. et al. (2009). Agroforestree Database 4.0: Artocarpus heterophyllus. ICRAF
This article was prepared with AI assistance and checked by the GreenEye team against the sources shown in each section.
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