~KWAI MUK~

Artocarpus hypargyraeus, A. lingnanensis

FAMILY: Moraceae

Native to Southern China

Read more about Kwai Muk

You are bidding on * live starter plant seedlings with vigorous root systems * inches tall with * leaves born and growing in a  small container for ease of transplant.

Read more about Kwai Muk

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Artocarpus hypargyraeus, A. lingnanensis
FAMILY: Moraceae

Abstract: The kwai muk, a fruit tree n, is little known in Southern Florida although it has been grown here since 1927.

The trees in Florida were introduced as Artocarpus hypargyraeus  Hance ex Benth., but may be A. lingnanensis Merr.

The Kwai Muk fruits look like mini jakfruit on the inside but are the size of figs. However, they  really taste like neither. The flesh most closely resembles jakfruit flesh but there is no juicy fruit flavor. The fruits are golf ball sized, and quite tasty IMO. The flavor of the better ones that I have had are sweet with some sub acidity. I can't really give you much more in the way of flavor description.  Frankly, they taste just like Kwai Muk has a nice apricot flavor with citrus overtones. If I had to say that the flavor is reminiscent of some other fruit,  I might say, with considerable reservation...strawberry.

This small, handsome tree has a dense, rounded canopy and grows best in full sun. The small leaves are dark green and leathery, and are retained  on the tree throughout the year. The tree grows well in the soils and climate of Southern Florida. Small trees are easily injured by frost, but mature trees  will survive brief exposure to temperatures of 25-26°F.

The fruit is ovoid to globose, 1.5- 2 inches in diameter, with a yellow, finely pubescent surface.  The soft pulp is orange-red in color, with a melting texture and a pleasant, subacid flavor. The fruit matures from August to October. The fruit usually is eaten  fresh, but also can be preserved with salt, with sugar syrup or by drying. This tree should be planted more extensively in gardens of Southern Florida because of  its attractive appearance and its useful, palatable fruit.

Several species of the genus Artocarpus are valued for their edible fruit in the tropics. The breadfruit and  the jackfruit are the best known of these. Another, the kwai muk, has proved to be well-adapted for cultivation in Southern Florida. The plant was first  introduced to Florida as Artocarpus hypargyrae Hance (1); the name was later modified to A. hypargyraeus Hance ex Benth. (2). It now appears that the plants  here may be of a closely-related species, A. lingnanensis Merr.(6, J. Popenoe, Fairchild Tropical Garden personal communication).

The kwai muk is from China, where its native range includes southern Kwangtung Province, Hainan Island and Hong Kong. It has been introduced to other  areas of the tropics, primarily in botanical gardens and experiment stations, but is not well known outside its native area.

The kwai muk was first introduced to Florida in 1927, but is still little-known or planted here. The tree has attributes which recommend it for  cultivation in home gardens in the state. The purpose of this offer is to describe the kwai muk and bring it to the attention of growers of tropical fruit  in US and elsewhere.

The kwai muk tree grows to a height of 15 ft in China; mature trees in Florida generally attain a  height of 20-25 ft. The following description is based on observations of trees growing in Dade County, Florida. The canopy is rounded and dense, with a  width approximately equalling its height. The tree retains its leaves throughout the year and has an attractive appearance at all times.

The leaves are simple, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 3-6 inches long, with a stiff, leathery texture, acuminate tips and entire margins. They are shiny  and dark green on the upper surface and dull medium green on the lower surface; both surfaces are glabrous. The stems, leaves and green fruits exude a white,  sticky latex when they are cut or broken.

The yellowish male and female flowers are borne in solitary, axillary, obovoid, separate inflorescences on the same tree. The minute flowers are joined  and the inflorescence develops into a multiple fruit, a syncarp. Flowering occurs from May to July.

The fruit have a diameter of 1.5-2 inches and a weight of 0.5-1.5 oz. Fruit shape is irregular, being globose, ovate, or oblate. The skin is thin and easily  broken. it is yellow at ripeness and covered with a fine, soft, short pubescence. The pulp is orange-red to red, very soft and tender, with a pleasant subacid  flavor. The fruit ripens from August to October. No yield records are available, but mature trees have the capability of producing 2000 fruit or more per year.

The fruit have 1-7 seeds, the number apparently affecting the size and shape of the fruit. Isolated trees often bear many small, seedless fruit, suggesting  that the tree is self-incompatible and needs cross-pollination to produce viable seed and fruit of normal size. The seeds are whitish and ovoid, with a diameter  of 0.3- 0.4 inch.

Propagation has been done in Florida entirely by seed. Seed take several weeks to germinate and the young plants grow slowly. No research has been done on  cultivar selection or vegetative propagation in Florida.

SPACING AND PRUNING
The tree grows and fruits best in full sun. Mature trees have canopies with a diameter of 20-25 ft, so for best results they should be given that much space  in garden or orchard plantings. Shading of the canopy invariably reduces fruit production. Trees grown in light shade will still have attractive dark green  leaves, but will not have as compact a canopy as trees grown in full sun.

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS
The observations in this section have been made on kwai muk trees growing at various locations in Southern Florida.

SOILS
The tree is well adapted  to most Florida soils. It grows especially well in the mildly acid sandy soils and maintains a dark green leaf color throughout the year. Trees grow  relatively well in the limestone soils also, but sometimes have leaf chlorosis from deficiencies of iron, zinc and manganese. The problem is most likely to  occur in young trees, disappearing as the trees attain larger size and a greater distribution of roots. The deficiencies are easy to correct with foliar  sprays of zinc and manganese and soil applications of iron chelates. No other research has been done on fertilizer requirements. Trees grow well when  maintained on a fertilizer program such as that used for citrus trees in home gardens.

WATER
The tree grows best in well-drained soils, but will survive brief flooding of the root system without apparent injury. For best growth young  trees should be irrigated during hot weather at times when rain does not occur for several days. Well-established trees appear to need irrigation under  Florida conditions only during extended dry periods, which can cause leaf drop and limb dieback if the trees do not receive water.

TEMPERATURE
Cultivation of the kwai muk is limited to the warm parts of southern peninsular Florida because of susceptibility to freeze injury.  Young trees have leaf and branch injury at air temperatures of 28-30°F and are likely to be killed at lower temperatures. Large trees survive brief exposure  to air temperatures of 25- 26°F with injury only to leaves and small twigs, but are damaged severely or killed by temperatures in the low 20s. Mature trees  at Homestead survived the worst freezes of recent decades. In 1958 and 1977, with only damage to leaves and small branches. Trees growing in Central Florida  were killed in the 1962 freeze, when air temperatures reached 20°F or below.

The tree develops a symmetrical, compact canopy without pruning. Pruning is necessary only to remove dead branches or to decrease the height or width of  the tree.

PESTS AND DISEASES
No pests or diseases are recognized at this time as causing significant damage to kwai muk trees in Florida. It should be recognized, however, that existing  plantings consist of only a few trees growing at widely separated locations, a situation not conducive to the development of pests and diseases. This  situation could change if large plantings were made.


USES OF THE TREE AND FRUIT
The kwai muk tree is slow-growing and relatively small. The canopy develops an attractive shape without pruning. The tree retains its dark green leaves  throughout the year and leaf drop is very light. These characteristics make the tree a good one for landscaping of small urban properties.

The fruit must be completely ripe for fresh consumption; unripe fruit exudes a white, sticky latex when the skin is broken. The ripe fruit has an  excellent flavor and is good for fresh consumption in the local production area. The fruit has best quality when ripened on the tree, but it also can be  harvested in the mature green stage and ripened at room temperature. Mature-green fruit ripens in 1-3 day, so shipping would be difficult. No experiments  have been reported on storage of this fruit.

The fruit can be preserved with salt, with sugar syrup or by drying. The dried fruit has a good texture  and flavor (B.A. Campbell, Homestead, personal communication).

CONCLUSIONS
The kwai muk is well adapted to the environment of southern Florida. The tree is small and attractive an lends itself well to landscaping on small urban  properties. The tree bears a good, useful fruit and deserves to be more widely grown in Florida.

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        Shipping

ATTENTION USA  BIDDERS!

     All  live plants if shipped bare-root are wrapped  in moist sphagnum moss to ensure the  plant's healthy transit to you. All live plants are  Inspected By USDA Plant Inspectors before they are shipped  to insure you get healthy pest free plants and seeds.

We ship  via USPS Mondays-Wednesday with Delivery confirmation.

            All plant materials are  required by LAW to inspected and certified by USDA prior to  export Hawaii to the US Mainland.

After Inspection, USDA stamps released for  export Hawaii to the US Mainland. All items are delivered to  USDA Inspection Station at Honolulu International airport.

USDA  Certification charge  is included in Shipping and Handling @ $5 fee per item/species.

There  is a packing and custom boxing fee.

Last and usually least is USPS postage (shipping)

ATTENTION  INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS!

We can  ship certified live plants to the US only. Only Domestic  Shipping and Handling includes USDA Certification.

We ship  Seeds Internationally.

All  International shipments are at Buyer's Risk. Please spend no  more more than you can lose!

Proper  Permits and Documents are the BUYER's responsibility. Please request any  documents prior to shipping.

For foreign  customers, please check your laws concerning permitting and customs,  additional shipping and handling costs may apply.

The  additional charge for any Phytosanitary Certificate is  not included in this offer.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ON  LIVE PLANTS  is available only under these conditions!

All  international orders are shipped at the BUYER's  RISK  (shipped with or without  documents) and no refunds or replacements are offered for  Dead On Arrival, loss, confiscation, Customs Seizure,  unanticipated charges, etc.

  Payment

We accept online  payments only through PayPal, Cash payments are only  acceptable for in-person payments and cash-on-delivery  (COD). Cash payment can not be sent through the mail.    

       Please only one Paypal payment. SO THE COMBINED SHIPPING  RULE WILL CAN BE USED. Late or Multiple PayPal payments are  NOT eligible for any discount.

We will ship once a  week - ON or BEFORE WEDNESDAYS, because of the special  stamps needed to ship plants and cuttings to you.  This  can only be done at the Dept. of Agriculture.  If  payments are not met before that MONDAY, your items will be  shipped the following week and lose the combined discount  opportunity. Non-paying bidders may receive negative  feedback and will be reported as an unpaid item to eBay.

COMBINED  SHIPPING POLICY

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING  is not included in this offer.         INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ON  LIVE PLANTS on a case by case basis.

We will combine shipping  for auctions won on the same week paid with same PayPal  payment.

This policy is good  for auction items bought and paid for in the week ending  MONDAY.

We ship on Tuesdays.

Payment must be  received within 4 days of the auction ending. 

Combined  Discounts Won Auctions

For 2-3 winning  auctions, the combined discount is 10% of the total Shipping  and Handling charges.

For 4-7 winning  auctions, the combined discount is 20% of the total Shipping  and Handling charges.

For 7+ winning  auctions, the combined discount is 30% of the total Shipping  and Handling charges.

As  each order is packed and prepared separately you will pay the quoted S/H charges individually per item. If you buy the same species in that item it  does calculate out the discount (i.e.: additional items)

My stores' combined shipping is built in for same items rather than a varied  selection. Domestic S/H includes postage, USDA certification and inspection, proper packing and delivery to Airport for  prompt delivery. I can't really change any of these. If you want one of this and one of that, it is hard to discount  much as each different species requires it's own prep, packing, then at USDA each has to be unwrapped and inspected  then repacked. USDA requires me to clean and prepare every last piece before we drive them to the Inspection Station on  the other side of the island. It takes my wife and I, 2-3 days to pack items and get ready to ship. The whole next day  we drive around the island and get inspected (2-3 hours), then drive to the Airport Post Office to drop off. It takes  the same work with the same type item if you can understand.

When you order a plant we assume you are prepared to care for it. It is your responsibility to know how to care  for the plant. Do some research before they arrive or seek experienced help.

 Small plants need protection from many things, wind, sun, dry-out. They do well just in the garage or living  room. They need good light but not sunlight (full sun will burn small plants). Small pots dry-out easily. Just sitting in a shallow tray of water works  well. The idea is to keep the plants from dehydrating.

Be careful if you decide to re-pot.  Re-potting voids any warranty. Plants are easily damaged with new/different mix. Use NO fertilizers (this may kill your plants).  Proper care is critical upon arrival. Live Plants are NOT GUARANTEED  to survive under your care. DO NOT expect any live plant to be GUARANTEED to remain alive. Plants are NOT GUARANTEED TO SURVIVE after you begin Care! Live arrival is guaranteed,  eternal survival is up to you.

 IF YOU are NOT able to provide PROPER CARE, PLEASE DO NOT EXPECT plant to be GUARANTEED after it perishes.

NO REPLACEMENT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF YOU HAVE REPOTTED THE PLANT.

Please Do NOT email me a week after potting your plant, and make a claim it arrived damaged. If you repot your plant after delivery, all warranties are voided and no replacement is offered. All  photos must be as arrived in original condition as received (in the box and packed as delivered).

If repotted, you are responsible for the condition of the plant. NO REPLACEMENT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF YOU HAVE REPOTTED THE PLANT.

Not every plant that I grow survives, and I am aware of that and accept the risk when I order. This is the risk that you as the buyer accept, because there is no way to know what kind  of conditions it will endure in the trip to your door. My responsibility ends when a live plant is delivered to your door.

You are agreeing to these terms when you make this purchase from this listing.

LIVE PLANTS ARE PERISHABLE.

There is the risk when you grow plants that they may die.  LIVE PLANTS are PERISHABLE, guaranteed not to live forever.

US orders ONLY are GUARANTEED for LIVE ARRIVAL . All International orders are shipped at the BUYER's  RISK!

From delivery confirmation, you have only 48 hours from delivery confirmation to make any claim.

All claims need to be supported with Photos of the damaged plant(s) as packed/unpacked, the box if damaged, the packing materials and any documents.

I am very reasonable and understanding, anything can happen to small plants in transit, for this reason uninsurable.

The expense to send it to you is most of your payment. To send any replacements, I try to piggy back with your next order.

Replacement is not an option for CUSTOMS SEIZURE.

ALL OF MY ITEMS ARE SHIPPED USDA CERTIFIED WITHIN THE U.S. - USDA and USPS fees  are included in the actual cost of shipping and Handling.

Please do not leave a 1 or 2 in my detailed seller ratings for postage fees or any  reason really because I will block you from any further purchases.
 
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I ship items the best and least expensive option. These are coming from Hawaii.  The only thing inexpensive here in Hawaii are my items!! I do ship all my items promptly via best method. If you feel  like the combined shipping fee is wrong, please wait to be invoiced and check back with me! I value your business and  will work diligently to keep you satisfied. I am very generous and reasonable with reasonable people, just ask.

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