Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Fruit, Shrub
Grass
Origin
South America
Africa
Types
V. × heilbornii
Pennisetum glaucum
Number of Varieties
07
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-118-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-9
12 - 8
Sunset Zone
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Brown, Cream
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Vegetative Reproduction
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
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
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
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, 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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, 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
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Other Uses
Used in making champagne
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Common Name
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
Millet, Pearl Millet
In Hindi
Babaco
purple millet
In German
Babaco
purple millet
In French
Babaco
millet pourpre
In Spanish
Babaco
purple millet
In Greek
Babaco
purple millet
In Portuguese
Babaco
purple millet
In Polish
Babaco
purple millet
In Latin
Babaco
purple millet
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Brassicales
Cyperales
Family
Caricaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Vasconcellea
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Paniceae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
11
1
27800
👆🏻