First female jackfruit flower on a tree less than 4 years old

[JoshuaTilaranCR]

Hey all, just wanted to share my excitement here but I have a couple questions about my tree also. I planted a jackfruit seedling in August 2020 that was about 2 feet tall, I noticed male flowers in September of last year and I'm seeing the first female flower just coming out of its sheath yesterday morning.





My questions are these, how can you tell the difference between a pure jackfruit and a chempejack? Is the way they flower different from one another? How about the leaf shape when they're young?

I ask about the flowers because this particular one is on a new branch with 2 male flowers behind it, with a leaf at each flower node and the branch got progressively fatter towards the female flower. And the question about the leaves is because when it was young it had tri-lobed and bi-lobed leaves just like some seedling chempejacks that I have planted.

Also one more question, should I try to hand pollinate the flower and should I expect it to hold a fruit? The tree is about 15 feet tall, I pruned it down to about 8 at the start of the rainy season here, back in April. The main trunk is probably 4-6 inches in diameter but this flower is coming off of a tertiary trunk and is about 2 inches in diameter, maybe.

[Jaboticaba45]

A simple way to tell is if the leaves are hairy. Like very hairy is chempedak, but less hair is hybrid or jack. It's simplified down but probably the best way to tell. There's many hybrids out there going a chempedak which is such a shame.

[Finca La Isla]

Our champejaks do not have hairy,(pubescent), stems at all although the fruit is certainly champejak.
Some jaks have multiple lobed leaves and others don’t.
I wouldn’t bother to try and pollinate the flower.
What makes you think it’s a hybrid?
Saludos
Peter

[JoshuaTilaranCR]

The leaves have a little hair to them. Nothing you can see but you can feel it if you run your fingers over them.

Peter, you don't think the tree will hold the fruit? I'm not sure if it's a hybrid or not but considering most people don't know the difference here I just imagined it could be. I've bought some chempejak as jackfruit before but you can tell the difference, I think at least, because they have very little latex. The seedling comes from Vivero El Punto in Alajuela or if not from there then from one around there.

[brian]

Very nice!  I am hoping mine flowers (even male) this year.  It has been growing and growing and is super healthy but no flowers yet, and this is a grafted tree

[JoshuaTilaranCR]

Here's some pictures of the flower. Definitely a female. I pollinated it, I think. We'll see what happens

[brian]

I did not realize that the flowers have those sheaths like the leaves do, I will have to go re-check my tree and see if there might already be some!

[StephenGlover]

spammer

[spencerw]

Congrats on your first female flowers! Commonly here the first female flower will hold and become a full sized fruit. We hand pollinated ours for better fruit content inside. ours is holding two fruits on a single stem, with a tiny trunk. They can do it just fine.
Champedak has wiry hairs on the stems. And jacks are fuzzy . Here is a full champedak

[fruit nerd]

Is it common for the male and female flower to come off the same stem with the male flower coming out first? Two of our jackfruits are flowering off the lowest branch close to the trunk (similar to the photo above, though I only have one flower at this stage). Quite happy with this, both have been in the ground for close to 2 years and one is pretty exactly two years old from seed. They grow fast!

[MANGOJOY]

Is it common for the male and female flower to come off the same stem with the male flower coming out first?

Yes

[fruit nerd]

Thanks. Here's a photo of the flowers. Not sure if both flowers will be male.

[brian]

Mine has its first flowers now!

Fruitnerd did you get any fruit set?

I found at least three flowers, not sure if male or female

[fruit nerd]

Brian, no fruit set yet. Something ate my first flower. Pretty sure I have another female or two on the way so still have hope.

[brian]

Ah, yes I remember that thread now. 

[Mike T]

Look like male flowers brian. Chempajacks with less than 50% chempa can have smooth terminal buds but I havent know a 50 50 to have completely smooth buds.

[brian]

Thanks, Mike.

My tree in photo is 'Golden Nugget' jackfruit btw. 

[fruit nerd]

I believe this is a female flower, correct me if I'm wrong. First male flower is on the left. Will have been in the ground 2 years from next month. It was first germinated in water beforehand (2 years ago in June) and directly planted in the ground.

[Greater Good]

Drinkng coffee while enjoying my morning saunter ...





Usually the fruit on this tree ripens late July to August.
It was on the ground smelling  quite ripe. It was hanging on the tree yesterday.  The branch It was hanging from  cracked over a month ago. The reduction in sap flow may have hastened its maturity. Weighs @ 15 lbs

[Greater Good]

We opened it today, no latex detected.

[Greater Good]

Our 2nd fruit of 2023. Was up high, put laundry bag around it, tied it off, cut the stem and lowered her down. Over 22 lbs. (10 kg.).

[brian]

GreaterGood, what type of jackfruit do you have there?

[fruit nerd]

I have 3 female flowers now. I'll have to take a photo when the fruits start to develop.

[Greater Good]

GreaterGood, what type of jackfruit do you have there?

Not sure of the variety when I got it. Acquired as part of the county adopt a tree program in 2008. It is a grafted tree.
 It's soft and sweet when ripe. Our largest fruit was 3 years ago, 42 lbs.

[Greater Good]

Our latest Jackfruit from the same tree 30.2 lbs. (13.6 Kg)