Victoria County Master         Gardener Association

'Fruit of the angels'

Grow papayas in your own backyard

June 27, 2014

by Pat Plowman/Victoria County Master Gardener

Edited by Charla Borchers Leon/Victoria County Master Gardener

PHOTO BY PAT PLOWMAN/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

The yellow-orange fruit of the Mexican Chula papaya is less sweet than the Hawaiian papaya and has a large amount of edible black seeds in the center. 

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY DON PLOWMAN

A Hawaiian papaya tree was planted and thrived on the south side of the house of Master Gardener Pat Plowman for several years, but not without challenges from cold weather. Note the branch on the left-hand side that grew as a result of cutting back freeze damage. After four years, the tree finally did succumb to recent cold winters.

PHOTO BY PAT PLOWMAN/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

This Mexican papaya tree at a rum plantation on the Caribbean island of Grenada is much taller than the Hawaiian papaya tree. Its fruit is up to 15 inches long and can weigh 10 to 15 pounds.

PHOTO BY BRYNN LEE/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

This papaya tree, formerly at Victoria Educational Gardens, last year displayed a single female flower that required fertilization by either a male or bisexual plant. It did not survive the cold of this past winter.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY DON PLOWMAN

Shown here is the pear-shaped, unripe (green) fruit of the Hawaiian papaya tree. Each fruit is about 7 to 8 inches long and weighs about 1 pound. Its flesh is yellow with orange red tones and has a sweet, musky taste.

It has been reputed that Christopher Columbus called papaya the "fruit of the angels." Was it the divine taste, delightful color of the fruit or how healthy it made him feel? My first experience eating papaya was in Hawaii. I really liked the unusual, refreshing taste.

When I returned home, I decided to grow a papaya tree and was quite successful. The tree grew quickly and produced papayas in the first year. The tree had some freeze damage in the winters but branched after being cut back and continued producing. Finally, after four years, the tree did not recover from the cold winter.

Tropical roots

The papaya (Carica papaya L.) - also known as tree melon, "papaw" in Australia, "mamba" in Brazil or "mikana" in Hawaii - is believed to be native to Central America and the southern part of Mexico. Portuguese and Spanish explorers probably introduced this exotic fruit to other tropical regions.

The papaya was brought to the U.S. in the 20th century; Hawaii has been the chief producer in the U.S. since the 1920s. Papayas are also imported to the U.S. from Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Bahamas.

Description

The papaya tree is a short-lived, fast-growing tropical plant, which grows from 8 to 30 feet tall. It has a hollow, herbaceous stem and is usually not branched unless injured. The large palmate leaves are borne on 2- to 3-foot long petioles that grow from the stem apex, giving the tree an umbrella-like appearance.

Papaya trees have shallow root systems and need well-drained soil. Too much moisture will cause root damage and disease. A warm, humid climate and protection from wind and freeze is necessary for good growth.

Varieties, sex, flowers

According to Julian W. Sauls, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension horticulturist, "papayas are generally grown from seeds, so there are few true varieties. Consequently, most papayas are types rather than varieties, so fruiting characteristics are better considered in groups." Papayas are polygamous, which means they bear both unisexual and hermaphrodite flowers on the same plant.

The sex of a papaya tree is not determined until it blooms. Female flowers are borne along the trunk as a single bloom and need to be fertilized by a male or bisexual. Male flowers are long clusters of 1-inch branched, trumpet-shaped blooms along the trunk, and most likely a tree with these clusters will not produce fruit.

Bisexual flowers look like females but with stamens. Bisexuals have male and bisexual flowers or both and will contain bisexual seeds. Papaya trees are even capable of changing sex in certain conditions.

Fruit

Papayas are referred to as Mexican or Hawaiian. The Mexican papaya, a taller tree, produces a larger smooth-skinned fruit up to 15 inches long and can weigh 10 to 15 pounds. The flesh is yellow, orange or pink. The taste is appealing but less sweet than the Hawaiian papaya.

Pear-shaped and much smaller in size, the Hawaiian papaya fruit weighs about 1 pound and is 7 to 8 inches long. The flesh is usually yellow with orange to red tones with a butter-like texture and a very sweet, musky taste.

Both kinds of papayas contain a large number of small, black edible seeds found in a gelatin substance at the center of the papaya. The seeds have a spicy, peppery flavor.

Store-bought Hawaiian papayas usually contain bisexual seeds. These would be the best choice for planting in your garden. Then again, if you want to be sure to produce fruit, you should plant two to four seedlings.

Nutritional, reported medicinal uses

Papayas are very high on the list of fruits with good nutritional value. They are excellent sources of antioxidants, including carotenes, vitamins A, B-complex, C and folates. They contain potassium, copper, magnesium and fiber. Papayas contain an enzyme called papain, which helps in the digestion of proteins and is used as a meat tenderizer.

Studies show papaya may have preventive affects in cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, inflammatory diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. Papayas also contain latex, which may cause an allergic reaction in some people.

With such high nutritional value and reported medicinal uses, maybe papayas rather than apples should have gotten the label "a papaya a day keeps the doctor away." Try some papaya and see if you agree with Christopher Columbus.

The Gardeners' Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas AgriLife Extension - Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com.





GROWING PAPAYA

From store-bought type

•  Wash seeds; plant several in a pot.

•  Expect seeds to germinate in two weeks.

•  Transplant into well-drained soil when 1 foot tall.

•  Plant in full sun near south side of house.

•  Fertilize with nitrogen monthly.

•  Expect it to flower in five to six months.

•  Look for fruit in first year.

•  Protect bottom portion of tree in freeze.

•  Harvest when fruit skin is yellow-green.

CHALLENGES TO A SUCCESSFUL PAPAYA

• Root rot

• Viral disease

• Anthracnos

• Whitefly

• Sooty mold

CONSUMING PAPAYAS

•  Can be eaten raw with lime and/or lemon juice.

•  Use in salads, salsas or shakes.

•  Cook in chutneys or desserts.

•  Enjoy as dried fruit.

•  Cook leaves like spinach or use in stir fry.

2014 Fall Master Gardener TRAINING CLASS

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