Can You Grow A Jackfruit Tree At Home? Here's What You Need To Know

While jackfruit has long been a beloved food in many parts of South Asia, it has also been increasing in popularity in the United States. If you've been enjoying the distinctive jackfruit as a tasty treat or vegan meat substitute, you may wonder if you can grow it at home. Growing jackfruit in your yard or house is less challenging than you may expect. If you have the space for it, jackfruit is an excellent plant for anyone looking for an uncommon fruit tree to grow.

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is only hardy in USDA zones 9b through 11, but it can grow surprisingly well as a houseplant. Young jackfruit trees are sometimes available to purchase at nurseries, but you can also grow them from seed. It often takes only a few years for jackfruit trees to mature enough to bear fruit. Unlike many kinds of fruit trees, jackfruits are self-fertile, meaning you'll only need one tree to get fruit, though they're often more productive if they have another tree to cross pollinate with. Because pollen moves from male to female flowers via wind, you may need to try hand pollination if you're growing your tree indoors.

Whether you're growing your jackfruit tree outside or inside, it's essential to give it plenty of light so that it can thrive. This can be done by planting the tree in a full sun location outdoors. If you're growing your jackfruit indoors, you'll likely need to use grow lights to ensure it can flourish. Jackfruits also need plenty of humidity, so you may need to raise the humidity in your house if you want it to thrive as a houseplant. 

Regardless of whether you're planting your jackfruit tree in the ground outside or growing it in a container, be sure to plant it in well-draining soil, as it can be prone to root rot. When left to their own devices, jackfruit trees can reach heights of up to 70 feet, so you'll want to keep yours well-pruned to ensure it stays a more manageable size. If you're growing your jackfruit tree inside in a pot, you should also prune the roots. With proper pruning, you should be able to keep your container-grown jackfruit tree at a size of about 7 feet tall. While this is certainly larger than many houseplants, it can be a stunning statement piece if you have the space for it.