Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Fruit, Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
South America
Central America, Mexico, North America
Types
V. × heilbornii
Neck, Really Big Hybrid, Waltham
Number of Varieties
05
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-119-11
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
Prostrate/Trailing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm7.62 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm50.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Peach, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
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
Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head 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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove shoots
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove the old foliage
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Balanced organic fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer, Nitrogen, Phosphate
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Dry root rot, Fusarium leaf spot, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Full Sun, Shade areas, Shallow soil
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Bees
Allergy
-
Dermatitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Glowing Skin, Good for skin and hair
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Digestive disorders
Antiasthamatic, anti-cancer, Cardiovascular problems, cholesterol-lowering, constipation, Diabetes, Fiber, High blood pressure, High cholestrol, Immunity, Manganese, Obesity, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used in making champagne
For making oil, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
CUCURBITA pepo 'White Crown of Thorns'
Common Name
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
Winter Squash
In Hindi
Babaco
कोंहड़ा
In German
Babaco
Winter squash
In French
Babaco
courges d'hiver
In Spanish
Babaco
calabaza de invierno
In Greek
Babaco
σκουός χειμώνα
In Portuguese
Babaco
abóbora
In Polish
Babaco
dynia
In Latin
Babaco
cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Brassicales
Violales
Family
Caricaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Vasconcellea
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
127
1
27800
👆🏻