History

Of the traditional agroforests of Kona, Hawaiʻi, “… their fields in general are productive of good crops that far exceed in point of perfection the produce of any civilized country within the tropics,” British botanist Archibald Menzies wrote in 1793, describing the multi-strata agroforestry of the islands. Over the past 230 years, breadfruit has made its way into the tropical regions of the Caribbean, Americas, Africa, and Asia.

  • Breadnut (Artocarpus camansi) is the wild ancestor. Has protein rich seeds. Can be grown with breadfruit.
  • Breadfruit is a traditional staple crop in Hawai’i and other Pacific Islands.
  • Domesticated 3,000-4,000 years ago in Papua New Guinea, Polynesians have since distributed it across the Pacific.

The Roots of Ulu

  • The most well-known Hawaiian origin story about ʻulu teaches that it is a gift of the god Kū, who fell in love with a Hawaiian woman and had a large family. When famine struck, Kū told his wife that in order to supply food for their family he would have to leave her.  Heartbroken, she said goodbye, watching Kū stand on his head and disappear into the ground. Her tears began to water the earth where he vanished. The following day, a green sprout appeared. The plant quickly grew into an ‘ulu tree and produced enough fruit to feed her family. When hungry neighbors heard about the tree, they came asking for fruit.  Kū’s wife dug up the keiki shoots surrounding the tree and gifted one to each ʻohana, who then planted their own trees, saving the families from famine.
  • ‘Ulu continues to represent abundance, resilience, and preparedness in Hawai‘i today.
  • Pre European contact, ‘ulu provided a key source of food security in many regions of Hawai’i; the kalu’ulu or breadfruit grove of South Kona, for example, spanned 10 square miles and is estimated to have provided 33 million pounds of food each year.
  • Breadfruit is now experiencing a renaissance in Hawaiʻi, as a traditional (and healthy) staple crop.
  • Given that breadfruit can grow in a wide range of soils, and be managed without imported inputs, it is a dependable perennial staple crop that contributes to food security where it grows.

Breadfruit – A tree of Importance to Hawaiʻi

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