Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_artocarpus_altilis
Breadfruit
Artocarpus altilis
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About Breadfruit
ʻUlu is a Polynesian-introduced food tree and a central component of Pacific agroforestry rather than a native Hawaiian forest species. Most Hawaiian cultivars are maintained by people through vegetative propagation, and deep soils, moisture, wind protection, and continued stewardship support long-lived trees. NTBG’s living and herbarium collections document the species and its marked cultivar diversity. Historical forestry records document planting on Kauaʻi; these records do not establish present survival or naturalization.
Kauaʻi evidence
Species identity and morphology use the linked NTBG sources. Kauaʻi historical-planting eligibility uses the USDA forestry ledger; planting evidence does not establish current survival or naturalization. The 1918–1959 Kauaʻi reforestation working register records 36 plants under Artocarpus altilis across 1 entries dated 1938. These are recorded planting quantities, not counts of surviving trees, and they do not by themselves establish current persistence, naturalization, or ecological impact. Source: Kauaʻi Reforestation Plantings 1918–1959 working register (user-supplied; reconciled 6 October 2026).
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Artocarpus altilis
- Common names
- Breadfruit
- Hawaiian names
- ʻulu
- Other names
- ulu · Breadfruit · Artocarpus communis · Artocarpus incisus · Artocarpus altilis
- Record type
- Species or taxonomic group
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Recorded on Kauaʻi
- Origin
- Polynesian introduction
- Conservation status
- Conservation priority; formal rank not listed
- Evidence date
- 2026-10-05
- Evidence limits
- Reviewed historical planting and cultivation records do not establish present survival, current extent, or naturalization on Kauaʻi. Public locality is island level only.
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Agroforest · Lowland cultural landscapes · Homesteads
- Food and resource needs
- Light, water, nutrients, and suitable soil or substrate
- Reproduction
- Viable propagules and suitable establishment conditions
- Shelter
- Suitable soil, substrate, and vegetation structure
- Growth form
- Tree
Threats and conservation
- Threats
- Storm damage, pests, drought, loss of agroforestry practice
- Conservation actions
- Cultivar preservation, agroforest restoration, food-system planning
- Monitoring
- Cultivar preservation, agroforest restoration, food-system planning
- Data gaps
- Additional ecological and conservation citations are recommended
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Not assessed
- Seasonal description
- ʻUlu is a Polynesian-introduced food tree and a central component of Pacific agroforestry rather than a native Hawaiian forest species. Most Hawaiian cultivars are maintained by people through vegetative propagation, and deep soils, moisture, wind protection, and continued stewardship support long-lived trees. NTBG’s living and herbarium collections document the species and its marked cultivar diversity. Historical forestry records document planting on Kauaʻi; these records do not establish present survival or naturalization.
