Can you grow BREADFRUIT trees in Mountainview Eden Roc area?

[calsr1991]

Sorry if this had been answered before, but I want to know if you can grow Breadfruit trees in the Mountainview Eden Roc areas. How about coconut trees?

[kalakoa]

I had breadfruit in Mountain View. Coconut will grow but I'm told they won't fruit at elevation.

Eden Roc is at the edge of elevation for banana, but low-chill blueberry varietals will work.

[Olohana 1790]

yes on ulu, no on niu
niu will grow very very slowly above 1,000'

instead of blueberries, try our 2 different endemic Ohelo berries.... they are the same family, all are Vaccinium species (w/ crown on fruit), and have same nutrition value.. the tree species is often found wild in upper Puna, the fruit are always red and are more sipid. The bush species is more in Volcano area in sunny areas, and the fruit can be found from light yellow swirl to a deep dark purple color and every color between... they have better flavor.. aroha

[MarkP]

Well, I am growing breadfruit trees but have not gotten any fruit yet in 5 years or so. I am getting bananas. This is in Eden Roc.

I know a fellow Eden Roc resident who has had a very short variety of cocoanut tree for years. It grows but no nuts.

[Punaperson]

There are over 150 varieties of breadfruit, and most have elevation/rainfall preferences. Check with PlantIt Hawaii to see which ones will do best where you are. Planting the right variety may cost you a bit more in the beginning, but could save you years of frustration. Also check out the Breadfruit Institute of Kauai - the largest repository of research and varieties on the planet, and very helpful.

Another tip from PlantItHawaii to make coconuts bear that worked for me: put a generous handful of sea salt in a 5 gal bucket of water and pour a circle about 3-4 feet from the base of the trunk. Repeat every 6 months or so. It adds the minerals the tree needs to send out an inflorescence and set fruit. One of the people who works there said her grandfather taught her that trick, and the Kalapana coconuts that I planted decades ago have nuts at 750' elevation.

[calsr1991]

I had breadfruit in Mountain View. Coconut will grow but I'm told they won't fruit at elevation.

Eden Roc is at the edge of elevation for banana, but low-chill blueberry varietals will work.

Thank you.

---

yes on ulu, no on niu
niu will grow very very slowly above 1,000'

instead of blueberries, try our 2 different endemic Ohelo berries.... they are the same family, all are Vaccinium species (w/ crown on fruit), and have same nutrition value..  the tree species is often found wild in upper Puna, the fruit are always red and are more sipid.  The bush species is more in Volcano area in sunny areas, and the fruit can be found from light yellow swirl to a deep dark purple color and every color between...  they have better flavor..  aroha

Thank you.

---

Thank you everyone for the awesome feedback.

[kalakoa]

Ohelo is considered invasive by State Ag and the fruit are full of seeds.

I got "real" blueberries from a vendor at the market. Note that blueberries come in early-mid-late varietals, plant a mix to enjoy a longer harvest season. Same is true of oranges, early-mid-late orange trees + a tangerine = citrus almost all the time.

Bird netting may be required for optimum yield...

Samoan breadfruit trees tend to be smaller and more well-behaved than other varieties. Pokifruit has them.

[terracore]

We had bananas growing at 2800' in Fern Forest. The fruits were small and spindly, but also we never fertilized them. I don't know the type, they were on the property when we bought it.