Mountain papaya Seeds (Vasconcellea pubescens)

Mountain papaya Seeds (Carica pubescens)

Price for Package of 5 seeds.

The Mountain Papaya is native to the cooler climates of cloud forests in the Andes between Panama and Chile, to an altitude of up to 3000 m. Apart from being a splendid ornamental, with large, dark green, palmate leaves that have velvety undersides, the female plants produce large quantities of yellow fruits which are traditionally used for preparing beverages and also cooked and eaten. Carica pubescens is best suited to warm temperate climates that lack extremes of heat or cold.

WKIPEDIA:

The mountain papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) also known as mountain pawpaw, papayuelo, chamburo, or simply "papaya" is a species of the genus Vasconcellea, native to the Andes of northwestern South America from Colombia south to central Chile, typically growing at altitudes of 1,500–3,000 metres (4,900–9,800 ft).

It has also been known as Carica pubescens.

Vasconcellea pubescens is an evergreen pachycaul shrub or small tree growing to 10 metres (33 ft) tall.

A ripe mountain papaya, whole and in cross section (Rift Valley Province, Kenya, September 2011).

The fruit is 6–15 cm long and 3–8 cm broad, with five broad longitudinal ribs from base to apex; it is green, maturing yellow to orange. The fruit pulp is edible, similar to papaya, and is usually cooked as a vegetable. It is also eaten raw.

Leaves of Vasconcellea pubescens

Cultivation

Vasconcellea pubescens is one of the parents of the 'Babaco' papaya, a hybrid cultivar widely grown for fruit production in South America, and in subtropical portions of North America.