Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit, Shrub
Cactus
Origin
South America
Central America, South America, Brazil
Types
V. × heilbornii
Columnar Cacti
Number of Varieties
050
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Desert, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1112-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-9
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Red, Orange, Salmon
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Succulent
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
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
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
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Reduce watering in winter
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilize the soil before planting, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacterial Stem Rot, fungus, Mealybugs, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
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
Florist trade and landscaping, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
Cleistocactus strausii
Common Name
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
silver torch or wooly torch
In Hindi
Babaco
Cleistocactus strausii
In German
Babaco
Cleistocactus strausii
In French
Babaco
Cleistocactus strausii
In Spanish
Babaco
Cleistocactus strausii
In Greek
Babaco
cleistocactus strausii
In Portuguese
Babaco
Cleistocactus strausii
In Polish
Babaco
cleistocastus strausii
In Latin
Babaco
Cleistocactus strausii
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Brassicales
Caryophyllales
Family
Caricaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Vasconcellea
Cleistocactus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Trichocereeae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
120
1
27800
👆🏻