A fast-growing tropical fruit tree

The fruit of Carica papaya is botanically a berry and can theoretically weigh up to 10 kilograms! However, in commercially grown varieties, it is usually much smaller. The papayas we see in stores in Europe typically weigh around half a kilo.

Of course, papaya is best known for its delicious fruit, but it is also botanically interesting with a high ornamental value due to its exotic appearance. It originally comes from Central America but is now cultivated in large parts of the world where the climate is tropical or subtropical, including southern parts of Europe.

To make it bear fruit in our climate, it needs to be kept warm and sheltered. A heated greenhouse or indoors works well. As a potted plant, it grows to about 2.5 to 3 meters tall before it is ready to flower and bear fruit. But if you have the space for it, it is actually quite easy to succeed with, as it grows at a furious pace.

Botanical description

It is often called a papaya tree due to its growth habit, but this is actually incorrect. The "stem", which can grow up to ten meters high, is hollow, although some of the larger vascular bundles become somewhat woody. So, it is neither a tree nor a shrub, but some kind of… herbaceous tree-like plant?

The leaves are arranged in a spiral around the stem, and the papaya regularly sheds its lowest leaf. In this way, the leaf spiral constantly moves upwards as the plant grows taller. It thus becomes bare from the bottom up. The leaves themselves are quite large, up to 50 cm, and deeply lobed, almost like a palm pattern.

Care

Use a well-draining potting soil such as our peat-free soil. It is a tropical fruit tree and thrives in strong light all year round. In winter, we therefore recommend using plant lighting. Papaya thrives in a relatively warm environment, so this is important to provide. Approximately 25 degrees Celsius all year round is recommended. Buy Papaya tree online!