Try NW Palms & Subtropicals Forum

Here is a link that might be useful: NW Palms & Subtropicals

Gold Beach to Brookings coastal strip nearly as mild as California, so numerous California Specials can be grown in Oregon because of this one little area. It's a smaller version of Florida vs. the rest of the US.

Eric,

Thanks for pointing me to the Cloud Forest NW Palms and Subtropicals forum. Not much into palms. Will consider one if it produces edible fruit in the Willamette valley. But sounds like there is some interest and expertise in those forums for growing sub tropicals in our zone. What is affirming for me however is that there are more "nuts" like me out there in the PNW.

bboy,

Not interested in California specials. More interested in something that has a decent chance of making it outdoors in Zone 8. An acquaintance from South America gave me the impression that some cultivars of "Carica Pubescens" survive fairly severe frosts in the Andes. The Purdue horticulture site doesn't provide much information on it, like for other marginals. So I thought, I'd ask.

I'd ask Northwoods Nursery now called One Green World. They are in Molalla and they grow a lot of unusual fruits.

Here is a link that might be useful: One Green World

The problem here in Portland may not be that it can "survive fairly severe frosts" but will it thrive and fruit with our lack of summertime heat? Our nights are cool.

Hey, but you could try!

On the NW Palms & Subtropicals Forum is a guy named "george in bandon". He is the director of a botanical garden in Bandon, OR. he'd probably have some knowledge. You should post your question there for sure.

Ian barclay is another expert, who also visits this here forum as well. Ian has grown or attempted to grow numerous exotics. You can send him an e-mail via the weblink below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ian barclay's Nursery

the mountain papaya i'm familiar with is also called a Babaco papaya. i think it would do well in a container in zone 8, as it can withstand cooler, damper climates than most papayas--meaning you could get it out on your deck/porch/sunny area sooner than most, and keep it out a bit longer before you brought it in.
i have one, but haven't tasted any of the fruits yet.

-ming

Here is a link that might be useful: Babaco

most andean plants will not take willamette valley conditions as in ground plants----too hot in summer, too cold in winter as the climate down there is extremely temperate with little seasonal change. indoor/outdoor container growing would be the safest way to go. my guess is that figs, loquats, kiwis, and maybe some "hardy" citrus (changsa manderins and similar---check out woodlanders nursery in aiken, south carolina as a mail-order source, they ship in fall, winter, and early spring)are going to be the best bets for exotic fruits where you are. cistus nursery near portland might be a worthwhile place to check they are mostly into ornamentals but might have some eatable fruits hiding out somewhere.

Thanks to all those who replied.

buyorsell888, I have been to One Green World a couple of times and have even been shown around their usually restricted green houses. It is a nice resource to have in the area. However, I think that they have stagnated a bit when it comes to new introductions.

Like most of you have indicated, I too have come to the conclusion that "Carica Pubescens" is not viable outdoors in the Willamette valley based on my research and a few international phone calls.

But I will continue my quest to find rare sub-tropical edibles that grow in our zone. There are a lot of Chilean, Tasmanian, Chinese, Himalayan, Russian and Japanese natives to mine.

As a group southern hemisphere plants have problems with Arctic Fronts, so many will not persist here due to the occasonal penetration of frigid air from the North. Their minimum temperature tolerances are rendered irrelevant by their inability to tolerate the prolonged cold (and its chilling of the soil) and low humidity of a serious inversion, like when we have snow for a week or two. Even high altitude New Guinea rhododendrons that may experience frost any night of the year in their native habitats have not proven hardy outdoors when attempted in the UK. The occasional successful introduction from Chile, New Zealand and so on is the exception that proves the rule.

just curious to see if you looked into Carica pentagona?

-ming

Hi Ron.
I couldn't agree more with what you stated above. The other factor that has been much more of a problem for me is the year round rain almost all southern hemisphere plants seem to require to thrive. I have lost more plants to lack of water than to cold, but in saying that, I really don't go to close to the edge with most of these plants. The ones I have, and have tried are of the tried and true variety for this region, for the most part anyway. Sandy, well drained soil is great for some plants, but when your gone for most of the summer, it can be a killer combination when the plants are left to fend for themselves.

-Brian

I want to find a source for babaco in the USA. Please help!
thanks,
baker1

Note to baker: I think both Raintree Nursery and One Green World carry the Babaco papaya. I got one from Raintree earlier this year. It's growing okay and is 4-5 feet tall, except the leaves keep dropping off as soon as they reach a mature size. It's still growing new leaves and it's amazing how fast they grow to a mature size, but only to turn a little yellow and then drop off. May be too much heat? I keep them in a sunroom that's getting up to the mid-90's to 100 these days. Or too much water? According to one of my books, I should let the plant dry out between waterings.

Anyone have any tips on growing this plant?
Thanks, Rick
Near Orting, east of Tacoma

Just to follow up on my previous posting, I moved the Babaco papaya outside about a month ago and it's doing much better. It has stopped dropping leaves and has about a dozen altogether now. I also moved two Musella lasiocarpa (Chinese yellow banana) outside and now they are doing better too. Apparently the heat of the sunroom, even in the relatively cool climate near Seattle, was too much for both.

I have a friend that had a really nice Mounatin Papaya in a large pot for years. He had it out on his sundeck and it thrived, but I don't ever remember seeing fruit on it. They are still not hardy enough for this climate. Even in a mild Winter when he left it out there was damage and it was right up against his house under the over hang. His property was south west facing right on the ocean too. He use to bring it in when the weather turned really cold. It did eventually perish from a cold cold snap. Cheers, Joe

we are growing mountain papaya seedlings at the moment at 50 degrees N on Quadra island will leave most in greenhouse see what happens