Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Fruit
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Mexico, Central America
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Male Papaya Tree, Female Papaya Tree, hermaphrodite Tree
Number of Varieties
320
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
tropical environments, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
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
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm7.62 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Green, Orange, Light Yellow
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove shoots, Remove short branches, Remove short twigs, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
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
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Ants, Bees, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Asthma, breathing problems, Itchiness, Itchy eyes, Red eyes, Runny nose, sneezing, Sore eyes, Swelling, Watery eyes, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Good for skin and hair, Improve hair condition, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Asthma, Bone strength, Cancer, Diabetes, Digestion problems, Heart problems, Inflammation, Skin Disorders
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Cosmetics, Making Shampoo, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
CARICA papaya
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Papaya
In Hindi
Mousemelon
पपीता
In German
Maus Melone
Papaya
In French
Mousemelon
Papaye
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Papaya
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Παπάγια
In Portuguese
melão rato
Mamão
In Polish
mysz melona
Papaja
In Latin
mouse melon
Papaya
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Brassicales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Caricaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Carica
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5030
1
27800
👆🏻