Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Grass
Fruit
Origin
Middle Africa
Mexico, Central America
Types
Perennial Grass
Male Papaya Tree, Female Papaya Tree, hermaphrodite Tree
Number of Varieties
1520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
tropical environments, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-10
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 21, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm7.62 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Orange, Light Yellow
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Do not water frequently, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove shoots, Remove short branches, Remove short twigs, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Ants, Bees, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Asthma, breathing problems, Itchiness, Itchy eyes, Red eyes, Runny nose, sneezing, Sore eyes, Swelling, Watery eyes, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Good for skin and hair, Improve hair condition, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Asthma, Bone strength, Cancer, Diabetes, Digestion problems, Heart problems, Inflammation, Skin Disorders
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Cosmetics, Making Shampoo, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
CARICA papaya
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Papaya
In Hindi
हाथी घास
पपीता
In German
Elefantengras
Papaya
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Papaye
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Papaya
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Παπάγια
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Mamão
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Papaja
In Latin
elephanti herba
Papaya
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Brassicales
Family
Poaceae
Caricaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Carica
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Paniceae
-
Subfamily
Panicoideae
-
Number of Species
130
1
27800
👆🏻