| |
|
|
|
|
Member Pages |
The papaya plant has an erect branchless trunk 6-20 ft (1.8-6.1 m) tall, and a palmlike head of foliage at the top. The trunk remains somewhat succulent and soft wooded, and never develops true bark. It is ringed with prominent scars from previous leaf stems and contains an acrid milky latex sap. The leaves are deeply incised and lobed, up to 24 in (61 cm) across and borne on 24 in (61 cm) petioles. The smooth-skinned fruits are green, yellow, orange or rose colored, and can weigh as much as 20 pounds (9.1 kg), but typically are about a pound (0.5 kg). They hang on short stalks in clusters directly from the trunk beneath the umbrella of giant leaves. Papayas flower and fruit simultaneously throughout the year. Normally dioecious in the wild, hermaphroditic papaya cultivars have been developed. Several variations of the 'Solo' cultivars, or Hawaiian papaya, are the most common papayas in American grocery stores; these are monoecious cultivars, only 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) tall, which produce small, single serving fruits. Mexican papayas produce fruits weighing up to 10 lbs (4.5 kg), on much larger plants.
Papaya is native to the lowland tropics of South America. It is cultivated throughout the world's tropical and frostfree subtropical regions for its edible fruits, and has naturalized in many areas. Almost every kitchen garden in the tropics or subtropics has a papaya plant or two. In the U.S., papaya is cultivated in Hawaii, southern California and South Florida.
Culture
Papaya is a short lived plant and young plants produce more fruit than older specimens, so it is best to cultivate a succession of papayas so there will always be some heavy bearing young ones coming on. The flesh of the ripe papaya fruit is yellow, creamy yet firm, fiberless, sweet and refreshing. Some liken the flavor to melon and apricot. The soft black seeds in the central cavity also are edible, tasting a little like watercress or nasturtium. Ripe papayas are soft and have a thin skin. In most cases the papayas available in grocery stores were picked while still hard and unripe. Like avocados, they will ripen off the tree at room temperature, but they will never taste as good as tree ripened fruits. Hasten the ripening of papayas by putting them in a paper bag with an apple or banana for a day or two. Never chill papayas until they are completely ripe. Use papayas in fruit salads, or serve sliced with lime juice. Pureed with ginger and hot peppers, papaya marinade is a natural meat tenderizer. Unripe, green papayas are pickled or cooked and eaten like summer squash, especially in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The young leaves are sometimes eaten like spinach. The unripe papaya fruit and the leaves are the source of papain, an enzyme that digests protein and that is used as a dietary supplement to aid in digestion. Papain is used as a meat tenderizer, to clarify beer, in the processing of natural silk and to give shrink resistance to wool.
Features Try growing papaya even in zone 8B or 9. They germinate quickly, grow fast, flower young and produce a nice tropical looking plant even if they don't have enough time to produce fruit before frost. Start seeds indoors and set out 8-10 week old plants along a south facing wall.
Steve Christman 01/4/00; updated 1/12/04; 8/21/04, 10/28/07
|
NEW at Floridata
Plant Profiles:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Get link
WARNING
