Latin name: Artocarpus heterophyllus
Other names: Jack tree
Uses: fruit, vegetable, pickled, fried, chips, flour, dessert
What is jackfruit?
The largest tree fruit in the world, jackfruit belongs to the Moraceae family, which includes fig, mulberry, and breadfruit. Weighing anywhere between 10 and a whopping 50 pounds or more, these enormous fruits have thick, bumpy greenish-brown skin that looks almost lizard-like. Inside you’ll find a mass of plump, stringy yellow pods. Relished both green and ripe, jackfruit is increasingly available in fresh, frozen and canned form.
Why is jackfruit healthy?
Who would have guessed that a low-carb fruit packed full of antioxidants, magnesium, fiber, and vitamin B6 could also be a superior meat replacement? In 2016, plant-based eaters made it a Google “rising star” based on search volume, praising jackfruit for its versatility and unique, meat-like texture. Studies show it also may reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.
What does jackfruit taste like?
When ripe, jackfruit is sweet like a banana, with a slightly tangy acidity reminiscent of pineapple. The bulbs have a bouncy texture like gummy candy. Unripe jackfruit is not sweet and is consumed in cooked form only, almost always in savory dishes. When roasted, compounds found in jackfruit seeds can produce aromas similar to processed cocoa beans. As a result, efforts are underway to see if the seed powder could work as a cacao alternative.
How do I use jackfruit?
Ripe jackfruit is eaten raw out of hand as well as featured in tropical desserts and sweets around the world, including the crushed ice and condensed milk dessert halo-halo in Philippines, Vietnamese chè, and the South Indian mini pancakes chakka nei appam. Since ripe jackfruit is naturally sweet, it is also processed into candies, syrups, juice concentrates, and preserves. Toasted and salted, the seeds make a popular snack.
You can cook unripe jackfruit in a variety of ways. The bulbs can be boiled for salads, fried like cutlets, or simply grilled or sautéed like a vegetable. In many Asian countries, jackfruit is stewed with meat and often served with steamed rice. In the southern states of India, sliced jackfruit bulbs are deep fried and eaten as chips. Through tropical South and Southeast Asia, people consume it in curries or straight off the tree. Cooks in the West have more recently taken a fancy to jackfruit, using it to make taco fillings, salads, burgers, and a vegetarian version of pulled pork. The dried fruit and seeds can be ground into flour.
What does jackfruit pair well with?
Jackfruit likes other tropical flavors — think coconut, and South or Southeast Asian spices.
Where does jackfruit grow?
Jackfruit is native to South and Southeast Asian countries, and is believed to have originated in the region between the Western Ghats of India and the rainforests of Malaysia. Tropical lowlands are ideal for its cultivation; today it’s grown widely throughout the tropical regions of the world. The English name “jackfruit” is derived from the Portuguese “jaca” which comes from the Malayalam term “chakka.”
How to buy jackfruit:
Unripe, it should be firm and sturdy. When ripe, it will become softer and more aromatic. Avoid too-soft or browning specimens.
Fun jackfruit fact:
The wood of the jackfruit tree is resistant to fungus and termites, which makes it an ideal building material for houses and furniture.
Username: Bongsong Published on 2024-10-23 01:22:49 ID NUMBER: 124036
Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) is a fast grower with peeling white bark and leaves that turn a beautiful shade of yellow in the fall. This tree needs regular watering, especially when it's hot and dry outside or if it's planted in drier soils, says Langelo.
Japanese maples have unparalleled curb appeal and one particularly eye-catching variety is 'Bloodgood.' "It’s a wider spreading Japanese maple and the branching is quite gnarly looking in winter," says Roethling. "New leaves emerge in mid-spring to a coppery red tone before turning burgundy red for the summer." In fall, the palmate-shaped leaves turn a beautiful crimson color.
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Red lotus tree (Magnolia insignia) is an ideal plant to add as a centerpiece or focal point behind a mass of perennials. "In early summer, white, balloon-shaped buds will gradually open with reddish tones," says Roethling. "It’s a magnolia, therefore expect that soft perfume scent to permeate the afternoon air."
Fragrant snowbell (Styrax japonicus) is a small deciduous tree with extremely fragrant white spring flowers. "The flowers are little but cover every limb from head to toe," says Roethling. "It’ll make a wonderful statement as a stand-alone or in the back of a perennial bed." Its grey bark and gumdrop-like shape give the tree interest during winter months.
One of the best performers during hot, dry summers is crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.). "With so many to choose from, one can find the right color and size to best suit their garden," says Roethling. "It’s one of the last summer flowering trees to leaf out. In June, July, and August, large panicles burst—from white to many shades of red and purple." In fall, some leaves are orange, and the panicles go from flowers to small, rounded capsules. Crepe myrtle offers winter interest thanks to its cinnamon-brown bark that exfoliates and intensifies in color.
Often confused for a hydrangea, Chinese snowball viburnum (Viburnum macrocephalum) is a showstopper in the front yard. "In late spring, large white flowers cover the plants so long as they are not in too much shade," says Roethling. "Some re-flowering can occur in fall. The flowers come out green and, when fully open, brighten to a giant white, snowball-like inflorescence." This tree variety does well with pruning should it begin to outgrow its space.
Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) boats beautiful white, yellow, or pink flowers in early spring. Native to eastern North America, the blooms on this understory tree will attract butterflies and bees to your yard, while songbirds come to snack on its red fruits, which appear from fall throughout winter. Commonly found in woodland margins, flowering dogwood can be challenging to grow in a landscape setting, but its beauty is well worth the extra effort.
Zones: 5 to 9
Size: 15 to 25 feet tall x 15 to 30 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil
Now it's time for the part you've been waiting for—putting in your plants into the gravel. For this, you'll want to use drought-tolerant native plants with deep root systems. You shouldn't plant seeds in a gravel garden, since it's harder for the roots to establish.
"When we plant, we typically use 3.5 or 4.5 inch pot size perennials, because they're about the correct depth," says Epping. "If you use a gallon pot, they're actually too big and you have to end up shaving off some soil to get them in."
Lay out your potted plants in the areas you want them to grow, keeping each about 12 to 18 inches apart.
Remove the plant from the pot and hover it over a bushel basket.
Over the basket, peel off the top inch of soil to remove any weed seeds from the nursery before planting.
Dig about 4 to 5 inches deep, past the gravel and into the soil, and insert the root ball.
Fill the area back in with soil and gravel. The gravel should touch the crown of the plant (where the stem meets the roots).
Zinnias come in a variety of colors and grow large blooms. With full sun access, these flowers can reach up to 4 inches in height. "This is a flower we recommend giving a 'pinch' when they reach 12 to 18 inches tall to promote branching and flowering on the plant," say the O'Neals. "The more you cut zinnias, the more blooms they produce."
Do note that you should cut a zinnia when it's fully mature. The best way to tell that it's reached this point is by giving it a wiggle test, they say. Bounce the stem between your index and middle finger, and if the stem is rigid, it's ready to be cut. When the stem is floppy, it's not ready to cut and won't stand up straight in the vase. After cutting your zinnias, they will last for about seven to 10 days, however, they are known as a "dirty" flower, say the O'Neals. "Their stems are hairy, so they make vase water murky quickly," they say. "We recommend changing the water for a vase with these flowers once a day, retrimming the bottom of the stems each time."
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