Babaco, Mountain papaya
It grows in a cool subtropical climate. It needs to be frost free or it will lose its leaves. They need a sheltered position and prefer a sunny position. It needs a well drained soil. It is best with a soil pH of 6-6.5. It cannot tolerate salty water. It can tolerate light frosts. In the Andes it grows between 1,500-2,500 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 10-11.
Synonyms
- Carica x chrysopetala Heilborn
- Carica x heilbornii var. pentagona
- Carica x frutifragrans Garcia-Barr. & Fern. Cam.
- A seedless hybrid between Carica pubescens and Carica stipulata
- Vasconcellea x heilbornii (V. M. Badillo) V. M. Badillo
Edible Portion
- Fruit
Where does Babaco grow?
Found in: Andes, Australia, Colombia, Ecuador, Hawaii, Israel, New Zealand, North America, Pacific, South America, Spain, United States
Notes: It is probably a cross between Carica pubescens and Carica stipulata - the chamburo. There are at least 22-40 species of Carica.
Status: It is a cultivated food plant.
Growing Babaco, Mountain papaya
Cultivation: Plants can be grown from cuttings about 30 cm long taken from near the base of older maturing plants. A second shoot can be allowed to grow from the base of the trunk as the first trunk becomes more mature and fruit production declines. Sometimes seeds are produced and these can be used for planting.
Edible Uses: The fruit are eaten raw or cooked.
Production: Fruit is produced about 15 months after planting cuttings. Ripe fruit can be stored for 4 weeks. Fruit can be stored with refrigeration.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | - | - | - | - | - | - |
References
Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 83 (As Carica peltata)
Castillo, R. O., 1995, Plant Genetic Resources in the Andes: Impact, Conservation, and Management. Crop Science 35:355-360
Darley, J.J., 1993, Know and Enjoy Tropical Fruit. P & S Publishers. p 90 (As Carica pentagona)
Gouldstone, S., 1983, Growing your own Food-bearing Plants in Australia. Macmillan p 76 (As Carica pentagona)
Heywood, V.H., Brummitt, R.K., Culham, A., and Seberg, O. 2007, Flowering Plant Families of the World. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. p 88 (As Carica pentagona)
Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 60 (As Carica pentagona)
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 904 (As Vasconcellea x heilbornii)
Kiple, K.F. & Ornelas, K.C., (eds), 2000, The Cambridge World History of Food. CUP p 1725 (As Carica pentagona)
Lyle, S., 2006, Discovering fruit and nuts. Land Links. p 99 (As Carica x heolbornii var. pentagona)
Martin, F. W., et al, 1987, Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics. USDA Handbook 642 p 90 (As Carica frutifragrans) (Also as Carica pentagona)
Morton, Julia F., 1987, Fruits of Warm Climates. Creative Resources Systems, Inc. . p. 346 (As Carica pentagona)
Staples, G.W. and Herbst, D.R., 2005, A tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. p 225
Tankard, G., 1990, Tropical fruit. An Australian Guide to Growing and using exotic fruit. Viking p 22 (As Carica pentagona)
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Available: www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/econ.pl (10 April 2000)
Van den Eynden, V., et al, 2003, Wild Foods from South Ecuador. Economic Botany 57(4): 576-603 (As Carica x heilbornii)
Van den Eynden, V., et al, 2004, Regional and ecological variations of wild edible plants in southern Ecuador. Lyonia. 7(2) (As Vasconcellea x heilbornii)