Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Shrub
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Male Papaya Tree, Female Papaya Tree, hermaphrodite Tree
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Number of Varieties
20-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
tropical environments, Tropical regions
Desert, Lower slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1512-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 23, 24
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
457.20 cm270.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
7.62 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Yellow
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Rosette
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand, Well drained
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
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 very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove shoots, Remove short branches, Remove short twigs, Requires little pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Bold
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Bees, Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds
Allergy
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
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Asthma, Bone strength, Cancer, Diabetes, Digestion problems, Heart problems, Inflammation, Skin Disorders
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Making Shampoo, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CARICA papaya
DASYLIRION texanum
Common Name
Papaya
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
In Hindi
पपीता
sotol
In German
Papaya
Dasylirion texanum
In French
Papaye
sotol
In Spanish
Papaya
sotol
In Greek
Παπάγια
sotol
In Portuguese
Mamão
sotol
In Polish
Papaja
sotol
In Latin
Papaya
sotol
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Brassicales
Liliales
Family
Caricaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Carica
Dasylirion
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
30300
1
27800
👆🏻