ʻUlu

by Lora Petrak

ʻUlu Artocarpus altilis, also known in English as Breadfruit, is one of several canoe plant food crops growing in the Māla Laʻau. This tropical tree in the Moraceae family includes other food crop plants such as figs, mulberry, and jackfruit. It is grown throughout many tropical regions of the world and is valued as a staple food crop due to its complex carbohydrates, fiber, minerals, and vitamins essential for good health.

Its origins trace back to New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippines, to Artocarpus camansi, known in English as Breadnut due to its large edible seeds. It is also related to and hybridizes with Artocarpus mariannensis, growing in Micronesia but not widely elsewhere.

Historically, in Hawaii, it was baked and eaten plain or made into poi ‘ulu. It also served many uses beyond a food crop. For example, the backs of leaves were used as sandpaper. The milky latex sap was used to create kēpau, a glue/sealant for canoes or to catch birds. Its wood was occasionally used for drums or surfboards. In mo ’olelo, it represents the god Kū, who turned himself into an ‘ulu tree to feed his family to avoid famine.  

Trees can reach up to 65 ft but are typically shorter; varieties like the Maʻafala have a more shrubby habit. Leaves are large, green, with yellow veins, and range from shallow to deeply lobed with a leathery top and sandpaper-like back. The tree is monoecious, producing both male and female flowers on the same tree. The male flower is a club-shaped cluster of stamens. The yellow-greenish female inflorescences fuse and eventually become the fruit. Pollination is not required to produce fruit. In Hawai'i, fruit typically ripens in summer/fall. Propagation is mainly done with root shoots because the more popular varieties in Hawaii are seedless. 

There are numerous varieties (cultivars) of breadfruit. They differ in habit, leaf shape, seed size, and flesh volume.ʻUlu is a Hawaiian variety, and the popular Maʻafala comes from Samoa and Tonga. Ripe fruit can weigh 2-7 lbs, depending on the variety. Cooked mature fruit will have a potato-like texture and taste “bready.” Overly ripe fruit is slightly sweet and eaten without cooking. Modern culinary uses include pickling young fruit using mature fruit for stews, chips, and flour, while over-ripe fruit is used in desserts.  

It grows easily along with other crops and requires minimal care for the amount of food it produces. It can be grown on a farm or in a home setting. The versatility and nutritional value of breadfruit, along with its ease of cultivation and prolific production, is being promoted for cultivation in tropical regions as a solution to food scarcity.

1. National Tropical Botanical Garden. (2022b, November 22). About Breadfruit - National Tropical Botanical Garden. https://ntbg.org/breadfruit/about-breadfruit/ Retrieved August 15, 2023.

2. Wikipedia contributors. (2023). Breadfruit. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadfruit
Retrieved August 15, 2023.

3. National Tropical Botanical Garden. (2022, June 8). Species - National Tropical Botanical Garden. https://ntbg.org/breadfruit/about-breadfruit/species/ Retrieved August 15, 2023.

4. Abbott. (1992). Lā’au Hawai’i : Traditional Hawaiian uses of plants. Bishop Museum Press.

5. National Tropical Botanical Garden. (2022a, June 8). Botany - National Tropical Botanical Garden. https://ntbg.org/breadfruit/about-breadfruit/botany/ Retrieved August 15, 2023