Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit, Shrub
Epiphyte
Origin
South America
North America, United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
V. × heilbornii
-
Number of Varieties
02
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Fields, Grassland, Rocky areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-9
-
Sunset Zone
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm10.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Purple, Yellow green, Pink, Light Pink, Plum
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green, Silver
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green, Silver
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green, Silver
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green, Silver, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Vegetative Reproduction
From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Requires watering in the growing season, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove shoots
Prune to control growth, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Digestive disorders
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used in making champagne
Employed in herbal medicine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Hanging Basket, Tropical
Botanical Name
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
TILLANDSIA
Common Name
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
Air Plant, Airplant
In Hindi
Babaco
Air Plant
In German
Babaco
Klimaanlagen
In French
Babaco
Plante air
In Spanish
Babaco
Planta de Aire
In Greek
Babaco
Air φυτών
In Portuguese
Babaco
Air planta
In Polish
Babaco
powietrza
In Latin
Babaco
Air Planta
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Brassicales
Poales
Family
Caricaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Vasconcellea
Tillandsia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Tillandsioideae.
Number of Species
1700
1
27800
👆🏻