BABACO, Carica pentagona

This attractive torpedo shaped fruit has an effervescent flesh hence its other name the 'champagne fruit'. The texture of the golden fruit is light and refreshing. The slightly acid flavour has a hint of strawberry, pineapple and pawpaw and can be made into a tasty thirst quenching drink. The unripe green fruit is delicious used as a green vegetable in curries and chutney. A very close relative of the pawpaw, the babaco needs fertile well-drained soil and warm conditions to grow well. A mature tree can reward you with up to 25 to 100 fruit per year.  Fruits are harvested when they lose their green tinge and turn yellow all over, handle with care as they are easily damaged.

The babaco is a natural hybrid between mountain pawpaw species in Equador.  All babacos are female and do not require pollination, all the fruits are seedless.

175mm | $24.90 AU | None in stock |

Tips on Babaco ^BETA

We welcome your Tips on Babaco. Share Your Tip.

Babaco

Stake well as it's shallow rooted and can topple over in strong wind. Keep moist but must have good drainage. Prone to root rot in gluggy, sour soil. Feed regularly with well rotted chicked poo. | David White - Newcastle, NSW 30-Jan-2006

Babaco

Protect from strong winds and have good drainage, when plant gets too tall cut branches on an angle and strike some cuttings. Fruit is fantastic dried as well as eaten with ice cream fantastic straight from the fridge on a hot day. | Tay Brownlie - Milton, NSW 25-May-2006

Babaco

This will be my second year from planting & just about to pick fruit | Allan Hiscock - Ivanhoe, VIC 12-Jan-2007

Babaco

I grow mine in a large pot with very good drainage mix of river sand cow manure and loam I have found wet feet causes root rot very quickly I freeze the ripe fruit and make a deicious drink blending the fruit with lemonade | Ron Briggs - Grafton, NSW 28-Feb-2007

Babaco

THE pawpaw type fruit for Perth WA! Grow staked as large potplant out of wind in well drained moist mix, north facing verandah ideal. Cut back after fruiting, plant tip easily grows as cutting, ripen 20cm pieces before trying as cuttings. Mulch with cow p | Joyce Crouchley - Boya, WA 08-Aug-2007

Babaco

Babaco's grow readily from stem cuttings. Mine fruit Dec-Feb. Northern aspect is preferable in this climate. Young plants can be eaten by snails. They need lots of water in first summer, but after that are surprisingly drought tolerant. | Lindsay Sutherland - Nunawading, Melbourne, VIC 15-Aug-2007

Babaco

Do not water cuttings unless soil completely dry- high incidence of rot - mature plant much more water tolerant, fruits heavily and continuously, minor leaf damage and drop at 1-3 degrees but quick recovery a great plant | Andrew Jones - Adelaide, SA 02-Nov-2007

Babaco

Grows well here, great crop fantastic fruit, though not ripe till following Summer. Lost leaves in Winter but recovered. Grafted plant died as rootstock not as cold tolerant as scion, cuttings OK. | Anthony Miceli - Mornington, VIC 15-Jan-2008

Babaco

Complete dieback in Winter after a particularly heavy 3 days of frost, but recovered in Spring. The tree now has a dozen maturing fruit after one Summer. | Anthony Linden Jones - Kurrajong, NSW 21-Mar-2008

Babaco

I have a real one at last and it dropped a few leave but is recovering well, i yhink everyone should have at least 5 of their own! | Banda Grey - Castlemaine, VIC 17-Apr-2008

Babaco

Does anyone have a receipe for jam with babaco? | Lynda Taylor - Cowra, NSW 05-Jun-2008

For further information:

California Rare Fruit Growers

Updated: 17th of June, 2008 at 8:58am © Disclaimer/Privacy/Copyright