About
Cempedak (Artocarpus integer) is a Southeast Asian relative of jackfruit, producing smaller, aromatic syncarps with soft, sweet to savory arils eaten fresh, fried, or cooked in regional cuisines, often with stronger scent than jackfruit at peak ripeness. Trees reach 50–80 feet (15–24 m) with glossy leaves and milky latex; fruit hangs from short stems on trunks and branches. In humid tropical food forests it is a calorie canopy—site it where neighbors cannot complain about perfume they did not vote for. Full sun for reliable fruiting; wind protection reduces torn leaves on young trees. Deep, fertile, well-drained soil with steady moisture during fruit expansion yields best aril quality. Drought during sizing causes drop; waterlogged clay rots roots without berming or drainage work. Bud or graft selected cultivars onto seedling rootstocks; seedlings vary in flesh color and odor intensity. Air-layer fruitful branches during warm, humid months. Prune for clearance and light penetration—dense inner twigs invite sap feeders. Cut fruit when aroma builds and rind yields slightly—timing is learned by nose and thumb, not calendar influencers. Oil hands and knives against latex; process outdoors if household noses are sensitive.
Permaculture Functions
- Edible: soft arils fry as fritters or eat fresh off sticky syncarps when aroma peaks -- latex gloves and outdoor prep keep kitchen complaints honest in humid yards.
- Animal Fodder: culled fruits, seeds, and peels enter pig and poultry rations on farms -- that already manage strong odors and daily cleanup under fruiting trees.
- Shade Provider: massive Moraceae crown throws humid tropical shade -- over turmeric beds and nursery tables north of the trunk once scaffold limbs lift above head height.
- Mulcher: very large alternate leaves drop in flushes that feed soil mesofauna -- when raked into guild mulch instead of paving the entire dripline for foot traffic.
- Wildlife Attractor: cauliflorous inflorescences feed beetles and flies -- while ripe fallen fruit draws rats, birds, and insects unless picked on the color-break schedule.
Companion Planting
- Strong odor at ripeness — siting near bedroom windows invites regret
- Latex — stains and sticks; plan tools and clothes accordingly
Threats & Pressure