PAPAYA - COL DE MONTE

Botanical Name: Vasconcellea monoica

Description

Most commonly found in cultivation in Ecuador between 600 and 1,700m elevation bearing small yellow fruits. There, the people like the fruit so much that they protect and nurture even wild specimens. The smooth, hard-skinned fruit has 5 faint ridges and a orange skin. Taste is highly variable. Some of its fruits are quite sweet with an attractive taste somewhat like apples. Others are astringent and barely edible, even cooked. Some of these small, fragrant fruits are eaten raw and usually mixed with other fruits. Cooked with lemon and sugar they have been likened to stewed apricots. Their firmness makes them suitable for drying and candying, and they freeze well. The young seedlings and mature leaves are cooked as greens (hence the common name col de monte, which, translated, means mountain cabbage.) The plant grows vigorously, but reaches only 1 - 3m in height. It is generally monoecious, commonly having male and female flowers together on the same inflorescence.

Image	Price	Avail.	Propagation	Size	Buy Options
	$12.90	0	Seedling	Medium	Seeking Propagation Material

Plant Information or Specifications

Preferred Climate

Tropical, Subtropical
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Seedling
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Max Height (when in the ground with good conditions)

1-2m

Plants required to Pollinate

1 (Self Pollinating)
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Can it Handle Frosts?

Likes Temps above 5deg

Amount of leaves in Winter?

All Leaves (Evergreen)

Quarantine Restrictions to these Areas

Water Requirements

Frequent Watering

Time to Fruit/Flower/Harvest

2-3 Years

Sun or Shade

Full (Sun:80%-100%), Part (Sun:50-80%)

Preferred Soil Type

Perfect Drainage (Sand/Volcanic)

Soil pH

Neutral (6.6-7.3pH)

Fruiting/Harvest Months

April, May, June

Customer Comments on Papaya - Col de Monte

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Papaya - Col de Monte (Seedling)

Anonymous's Edible Fruits
Update: 276 days 24hrs

Comments: -

Fruit very small and hard. Supplied by Daley's, don't know if it was a seedling or cutting as I didn't look closely at the root system, but presume it to be a seedling. Fruit set last autumn is still on. Trying to grow seed on from fruit. In a heavy clay soil, succumbed to root rot.

Planted: 2008

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Animal manures, urea

When I Fertilise: Spring

Question: Is this species self fertile?

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Papaya - Col de Monte (Seedling) ^10/10

Anonymous's Edible Fruits
Update: 3084 days 1hrs

Comments: -

Our Southern Red papaya is bisexual- handy in a small garden. After fruiting we cut back the tallest stem and let it branch out- this way we can still reach the fruit next year without a ladder!

Fruiting Months January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Planted: 2003

Height 3 metres