Jackfruit is a fast-growing tropical tree with a large, edible fruit. The tree is evergreen and grows up to 50 feet (15 meters) tall. It has separate male and female flowers. The fruit can weigh up to 60 pounds (27 kilograms). It has a sickly sweet smell and a waxy, yellow pulp.
Jackfruit are grown in India, Malaysia, and throughout the tropics. People eat the pulp of the fruit as well as the large seeds, which they boil or roast. The rind of the fruit and the leaves are fed to livestock.
Jackfruit trees are often planted to give shade and support to other crops. The wood from jackfruit trees is valuable as timber and as a source of yellow dye.
