Frequently asked questions

The scientific name of kathal (कटहल) is Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., and it belongs to the mulberry and fig family, Moraceae. In English it is called jackfruit, and the tree is the jackfruit tree or jack tree. Other Indian names include panasa in Sanskrit, phanas in Marathi, chakka in Malayalam, palaa in Tamil and halasu in Kannada (Flowers of India, ICRAF).

Plant a healthy grafted sapling from a reliable nursery at the start of the rains, in a deep, well-drained spot that never floods. TNAU suggests a pit of 1 m each way and KAU 60 cm; refill it with topsoil mixed with well-rotted compost or manure, slightly above ground level, plant at the depth the sapling stood in its bag, keep the graft joint above the soil, stake it, make a basin and water at once. TNAU spaces orchard trees 8 x 8 m and KAU 12-15 m, so leave room for a wide crown; this is a rough starting point, not a safe distance from a house or pipes.

Plant jackfruit at the start of the monsoon in most of India. As a guide, that means July-August in the northern plains, the east, the north-east and central India, the onset of the monsoon on the west coast (KAU), and June-December in Tamil Nadu (TNAU), where October-November planting suits the coast because the main rains come with the north-east monsoon. Plant when the rains have wetted the soil in your district, and avoid April-May, before the rains arrive.

Plant it in full sun on deep, well-drained soil, in an open spot where a large tree can spread and water never stands after rain. ICRAF says it tolerates neither drought nor flooding, and KAU warns that a rising water table harms it, so avoid low corners, lawns that stay wet and leaking tanks. Keep it well away from walls, pipes and overhead wires; the 8-15 m spacing used in orchards (TNAU, KAU) is a rough starting point for growing room, not a safe distance, so ask your local horticulture office if space is tight.

Sow fresh seed from a fully ripe fruit soon after you take it out, because ICRAF describes jackfruit seed as recalcitrant: it does not survive drying. Wash off the pulp and sow it in a deep bag of loose, moist (not wet) soil, then move the seedling to its final place while young, since the tree forms a long taproot (ICRAF; practical guidance). Seedling trees bear later, from about the 8th year in TNAU's guidance, so for earlier fruit nurseries graft a known plant onto such seedlings.

A grafted jackfruit usually starts fruiting from about its 5th year and a seedling from about its 8th (TNAU); KAU gives 6-8 years after planting. In a 2014-16 study at ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, the main flowering season ran from November to April, and ICRAF says fruit matures 80-160 days after flowering. TNAU gives the harvest in Tamil Nadu as March to July, and KAU says fruit matures around June in Kerala; timing varies by region and tree.

Only for a short time: jackfruit is naturally a large tree, 8-25 m tall with a long taproot (ICRAF), so it is not a true pot plant. A young sapling can be kept in a large, deep, well-drained container for a year or two before planting out, but do not expect a healthy fruiting tree in a pot. Our sources give no tested pot-growing method for India, so ask your local KVK or horticulture office for advice.

A kathal tree is a dense, dark green evergreen, 8-25 m tall (ICRAF), with thick, glossy, oval leaves 4-25 cm long and huge spiny green fruits hanging straight from the trunk and thick branches. Leaves on young shoots can be 2- or 3-lobed, and every cut part oozes sticky white latex (ICRAF). Breadfruit, called vilayati kathal, looks similar but has deeply lobed leaves and fruit skin patterned with hexagon-like discs instead of spines (Flowers of India).

Whether it is shubh or ashubh is a matter of belief, not something our sources can settle. The practical answer depends on space: kathal grows into a large tree with a wide crown, a long taproot and fruits that can weigh 4.5-50 kg (ICRAF). Plant it only where it has room to spread, away from walls, pipes and overhead wires, and not over a spot where people sit or children play.

Jackfruit is widely eaten and we found no record of it being poisonous, but its sticky latex and rare allergies need care. Severe allergic reactions after eating jackfruit have been reported mostly in people already allergic to latex (Dey and colleagues, 2023), so anyone with a latex allergy should ask a doctor first and get medical help at once if swelling or breathing trouble appears. Effects on dogs and cats are not well documented, so keep pets from chewing leaves, bark or seeds, and ask a vet if they do.