Source for breadfruit trees?

[Justin]

I'm looking to purchase about ten breadfruit trees to start a hedge. Does anyone have input as to which variety would be best, and a source for that variety? Thanks in advance!

[Lee M-S]

would breadfuit (ulu) trees make a good hedge? Mine is only about 8' tall, and the lower 5' are bare.

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[allensylves]

Just like kids, you have to start training them young, if you can! Ma'afala is supposed to be a more compact variety. Mine has leaves down to near 1' from the ground. It is less than about 10' tall because I kept cutting off the tips of branches that tried to go straight up so it had to bush out. It is very dense and is 10-12' wide. It was planted Nov. 25, 2012 and I cut back the top then, but I did not record how tall it was then. It is much denser and less upright than a root cutting a Samoan friend gave me, which is about the same height.
This is the variety that the NTBG (National Tropical Botanical Garden) tissue cultured: http://www.ntbg.org/
I do not remember where I bought mine, nor of a source, other than checking with NTBG.

Allen
Finally in HPP

[bananahead]

Ulu is naturally a leggy tree (older trees, especially in thicker jungle, have long twisty branches, ie in older areas of Hilo)... may be tough to keep it hedge-like years from now, and by cutting it so often will fruit less because the fruit take a while to form and form closer to the ends of branches, unlike a jakfruit...

the main species of Ulu in Hawaii rarely seed anymore (mostly nonviable seeds, all screwed up from being cultivated for so long)... ie almost every single Ulu you see was planted in its location or are descendents of older ones planted long ago (root suckers). If you can get a seed to germinate (rare), it will take up to 15 years to fruit, while a root sucker or cutting may fruit in as little as 3 years.

if you want to propagate your own and not spend $50 for a single small 'tree' ...
you need to air layer, try cuttings, or dig up a root sucker (best way)

fwiw, I dig mine up (root suckers) along the roads and ditches up Hamakuka way, a few of them in the thickets near Kolekole Beach Park, and Hakalau Bay and along the 4 mile scenic route up there near Onomea Bay...
good luck

http://ntbg.org/breadfruit/breadfruit/propagation1.php

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save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha

[Justin]

Thanks everyone. Allen, it sounds like you have a good varietal. I'll be on the lookout.

[terracore]

My wife went to a breadfruit workshop at the Hawaii Ulu Festival. That year it was at the Kua O Ka La Public Charter School in Kalapana. They had classes about growing it, cooking it, history, etc and it came with a breadfruit-themed lunch. She bought a year old tree there grown by the kids at the school. It is one of the fastest growing trees we have planted.

You can google when the next workshop or festival is and get more than just a tree.

[Justin]

I bought five at the Farmer's Market yesterday. The lady said it was from Tokelau - my best guess is that it is this varietal, or at least something close: http://ntbg.org/breadfruit/database/search/plant/163

I saw several of the Artocarpus altilis x mariannensis at the NTBG, and if that's what I got, I should be very happy. Fingers crossed.

[Rene Siracusa]

You can order breadfruit trees from Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer. Call 965-9955 or email hqhqinc@hotmail.com

[Justin]

Thanks Rene!