The small plant is better suited as a container specimen than its cousin the papaya, which needs constant moisture and high temperatures to survive.

The opening of axillary buds and subsequent shoot growth is stimulated by removing the apical meristem.

Top-prunings (to reduce the height of the plant) may also be used as giant cuttings, up to 1.5 m (5 ft) long, if protected against drying out.

Recommended greenhouse minimum temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) at night, 12 °C (54 °F) during the day, and 18 °C (64 °F) for fruit to ripen quickly and uniformly.

Under greenhouse conditions, plant growth during winter months (October to March at 49° north) is slow, and flowers senesce and fail to set fruit (Kempler et al., 1993).

Babaco sweet fruit consumption is of considerable cultural importance in the mountainous regions of Andean countries, specially in Ecuador.

The babaco fruit is seedless and the smooth skin can be eaten, and is said to have tastes of strawberry, papaya, kiwi and pineapple.

Cultivation away from its native range has been successful as far south as New Zealand, and as far north as California, some regions of England, Guernsey, Channel Islands, and somewhat also in Italy (mostly Sicily and Calabria).