Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Fruit, Shrub
Shrub
Origin
South America
Central America, South America
Types
V. × heilbornii
Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
02
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-9
-
Sunset Zone
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm243.84 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Vegetative Reproduction
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Dry, Sandy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove shoots
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wind
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
-
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Digestive disorders
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Used in making champagne
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
Malpighia emarginata
Common Name
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
In Hindi
Babaco
Acerola Tree
In German
Babaco
Acerola Baum
In French
Babaco
Acerola Arbre
In Spanish
Babaco
Árbol de acerola
In Greek
Babaco
Acerola Δέντρο
In Portuguese
Babaco
Árvore acerola
In Polish
Babaco
Acerola Drzewo
In Latin
Babaco
Acerola ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Brassicales
Malpighiales
Family
Caricaceae
Malpighiaceae
Genus
Vasconcellea
Malpighia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Paperveroideae
Number of Species
1-
1
27800
👆🏻