Native to the Andean highlands of South America, from Colombia to central Chile, favoring altitudes between 4,900 and 9,800 feet. An evergreen, it presents itself as a pachycaul shrub or a small tree, characterized by a single central stem and palmate leaves, the underside of the foliage and petiole is notably thick with pubescence. This species is predominantly dioecious, with flower sex expression varying seasonally, and it is known for its fast growth rate. Its fruit, arranged spirally along the trunk, matures from green to yellow or orange with an annual yield of 50 to 60 fruits per tree, the fruit pulp is edible, commonly cooked as a vegetable, and bears similarity in flavor to common papaya. This plant has been crossed with other highland papayas, notably as one of the progenitors of the 'Babaco' papaya, a hybrid cultivar cultivated for fruit in South America and subtropical North America. In Colombia it is called papayuela. Photographed in the eastern Andes mountain range of Colombia (Cordillera Oriental).