Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Fruit
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Central America, Mexico
Types
Male Papaya Tree, Female Papaya Tree, hermaphrodite Tree
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
203
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
tropical environments, Tropical regions
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 23, 24
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
Habit
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
457.20 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
7.62 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Yellow
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand, Well drained
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Do not water frequently, Requires watering in the growing season
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, 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
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove shoots, Remove short branches, Remove short twigs, Requires little pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
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
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Bees, Hummingbirds
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems, Itchiness, Itchy eyes, Red eyes, Runny nose, sneezing, Sore eyes, Swelling, Watery eyes, wheezing
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Good for skin and hair, Improve hair condition, Making cosmetics
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Asthma, Bone strength, Cancer, Diabetes, Digestion problems, Heart problems, Inflammation, Skin Disorders
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Making Shampoo, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
CARICA papaya
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Papaya
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
पपीता
Mousemelon
In German
Papaya
Maus Melone
In French
Papaye
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Papaya
Mousemelon
In Greek
Παπάγια
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Mamão
melão rato
In Polish
Papaja
mysz melona
In Latin
Papaya
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Brassicales
Cucurbitales
Family
Caricaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Carica
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
3050
1
27800
👆🏻