Hi :) I'm from Vidin, Bulgaria, Southeastern Europe. Does anyone here still have some free seeds of anything succulent or whatever? :) I really like having exotic and very-strange-looking plants. Here's my address in any case... Borislav Levashki 94 Tsar Alexander II 3700 Vidin Bulgaria You could send me a post card if not... :)

Ethan: Can't help you on the possible difference in seed taste. Actually, I have never eaten the seeds. Not sure why I have never tried them.....I guess it is that they are just not appealing to me. And, while I have been told by many, many people in the know that the seeds can be roasted or boiled and then eaten, no one has ever used a hint of superlative when decribing the eating experience. The descritions have all left me with the feeling that you could eat them if you were starving......but not much more than that. I guess I get an "F" in the adventurous eating department. Regarding Cochin.....it has been quite a while since I have had it. I tasted it first at Bill Whitman's back in the mid-90's. I believe he introduced it and was himself or with or through a nephew or someone, trying to plant out a commercial orchard of these to develop a jakfruit business. The reasons they were going with this culitvar were several. First, the fruits were of excellent flavor. Second, the fruits were small.....and therefore easier to pack and ship. These fruits got no larger than a good sized pineapple. Third, the fruits had an excellent seed to fruit ratio. This was enhanced by the fact that the rag, those underdeveloped portions of the interior of the fruit that are ordinarily too tough to really enjoy, in the Cochin were edible and really also quite good. I kind of lost track of the whole operation but I believe the business failed in its start up becuase for the all the great things about the fruit that existed, the trees were of extremely poor vigor. I had tried to plant out several of these and have friends that tried as well. I do not know of one that is doing well. Mine all died slow deaths. I do know of one that a friend has that was supposedly a grafted Cochin. Actually, he has two jakfruit trees in his yard. Both were obtained from Hopkins Nursery many moons ago. They both grow quite well. The grafted Cochin has never fruited. That is with about 15 years of being planted out. The tree has much better vigor than other Cochins I have seen. Obviously, I do question whether it is actually a grafted Cochin. The seedling Cochin has fruited quite heavily. The fruit is of really excellent flavor. Unfortunately, the flesh is so soft and mushy that it gags you to eat it. At least it does me. My Trinidadian neighbors will only eat this jakfruit. They absolutely love it. So....go figure. Anyway, I had the Cochin the last time in the late 90's at the Just Jakfruit Festival at Fairchild. It lived up to all the previous memories. Harry

If you have any available I would love a seedling or two. This is a very common fruit where I grew up and I have not been able to get this anywhere here in the US. If there is a wishlist u have to trade, I can trade or send SASE. Thanks

Hey everyone, I'm in the process of sprouting a new batch of Jackfruit seeds. I should end up with ~50 but I already have too many plants so I wanted to check if anybody is interested in them. Here are some pics from my last round of sprouting. I am at Colorado State University currently but I can ship them anywhere. I shipped some to my grandma in AZ 2 months ago and they're almost 2 feet tall now! Let me know if you're interested, Sam.