Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Mexico, Central America
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Male Papaya Tree, Female Papaya Tree, hermaphrodite Tree
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
2015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
tropical environments, Tropical regions
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-156-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 23, 24
H1, H2, 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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
457.20 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
7.62 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Yellow
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand, Well drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
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
Needs small amount of water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove shoots, Remove short branches, Remove short twigs, Requires little pruning
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Bees, Hummingbirds
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems, Itchiness, Itchy eyes, Red eyes, Runny nose, sneezing, Sore eyes, Swelling, Watery eyes, wheezing
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Good for skin and hair, Improve hair condition, Making cosmetics
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Asthma, Bone strength, Cancer, Diabetes, Digestion problems, Heart problems, Inflammation, Skin Disorders
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Making Shampoo, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
CARICA papaya
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Papaya
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
पपीता
सुई ताड़
In German
Papaya
Nadel -Palme
In French
Papaye
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
Papaya
palmera aguja
In Greek
Παπάγια
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
Mamão
palmeira agulha
In Polish
Papaja
Igła palma
In Latin
Papaya
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Brassicales
Arecales
Family
Caricaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Carica
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Corypheae
Subfamily
-
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
3010
1
27800
👆🏻