Breadfruit: The Tree That Caused the Mutiny on the Bounty
Breadfruit drove Captain Bligh's notorious Pacific voyage. The story of a Polynesian staple that nearly changed Caribbean history.
The breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a starchy staple of Pacific islands and the Caribbean. The fruit famously caused the Mutiny on the Bounty: in 1789, HMS Bounty was carrying breadfruit saplings from Tahiti to feed slaves in the Caribbean when the crew mutinied. A second voyage (under the same Captain Bligh) successfully delivered the trees to Jamaica in 1793.
Origin and history
Native to New Guinea and the Maluku islands. Austronesian voyagers carried breadfruit across Polynesia 3,000 years ago โ it became a primary starch in Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, and Fiji. European traders brought it to the Caribbean in the 1790s. Today breadfruit grows across all tropical regions.
Where breadfruit grows today
Polynesia, the Caribbean, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, parts of Africa, and Sri Lanka are major producers. Increasing interest in food security has pushed expanded cultivation in tropical Africa.
How to grow breadfruit
USDA Zones 10-12. Large tree (15-20m). Frost-sensitive. First fruit in 3-6 years. A single tree produces 150-300 fruits annually.
Bottom line
A starchy fruit that feeds families and historically built Pacific cultures. Cooked like a potato.