Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit, Shrub
Grass
Origin
South America
Middle Africa
Types
V. × heilbornii
Perennial Grass
Number of Varieties
015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-117-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-9
12 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Vegetative Reproduction
Budding, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove shoots
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Flying insects
Allergy
-
Asthma, breathing problems
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Digestive disorders
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used in making champagne
Food for animals, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
Common Name
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
Elephant Grass
In Hindi
Babaco
हाथी घास
In German
Babaco
Elefantengras
In French
Babaco
l'herbe à éléphant
In Spanish
Babaco
pasto elefante
In Greek
Babaco
ελέφαντα χόρτο
In Portuguese
Babaco
capim-elefante
In Polish
Babaco
trawa słoniowa
In Latin
Babaco
elephanti herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Brassicales
Poales
Family
Caricaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Vasconcellea
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Paniceae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
11
1
27800
👆🏻