Papaya Plant

What is a papaya plant?

Papaya is Carica papaya, a soft-stemmed tropical plant of the family Caricaceae. It comes from southern Mexico and Central America and reached India with Portuguese traders in the sixteenth century. Today India grows more papaya than any other country, and it is a fixture of home gardens from Kerala to Assam. Hindi speakers call it papita, Bengali homes call it pepe (পেঁপে), and it is papai in Marathi, pappali in Tamil and boppayi in Telugu.

Botanists call it a giant herb rather than a true tree, because the trunk never turns fully woody. What you will notice first:

• Stem. One straight, unbranched, greenish-grey stem, hollow inside and marked with the scars of old leaves.
• Leaves. Very large, deeply lobed leaves, often 50–70 cm across, on long hollow stalks that fan out from the top of the stem like an umbrella.
• Flowers. Creamy white and lightly scented. Female flowers sit close to the stem; male flowers hang on long, dangling stalks.
• Fruit. Green fruit that turns yellow-orange as it ripens, borne in a cluster around the stem just below the leaves. Inside is soft orange or red flesh around a hollow full of small black seeds.

Why grow a papaya tree at home?

• Fruit in the first year. Few fruit trees reward you as quickly. Most take three years or more; papaya often ripens its first fruit before its first birthday.
• A harvest almost every month. New flowers keep opening as the stem grows, so once a plant starts bearing, it tends to keep a few fruits ripening through most of the year.
• Two crops from one tree. Pick fruit green for cooking and let the rest ripen for eating. In Bengal, raw pepe goes into everyday torkari and jhol, and into the sweet, translucent "plastic chutney" of wedding feasts.
• Tropical looks in a small footprint. The umbrella of big leaves gives a garden corner or terrace an instant tropical feel without taking much ground space.

Where should you plant a papaya tree?

Papaya wants hot sun, shelter from wind and, above all, soil that drains fast. The best spots are:

• A garden bed, kitchen plot, courtyard or boundary corner. In open ground it grows fastest and fruits most. Leave about 1.8–2 m between plants and keep it a little away from walls, so the leaves have room to spread. It is one of the quickest-cropping outdoor gardening plants for an Indian home.
• Slightly raised ground. Plant on a low mound or ridge, never in a hollow where rainwater collects.
• A sunny terrace, in a half-drum. A half-drum or a 20–24 inch grow bag at least 45–60 cm deep, with plenty of drainage holes, can carry a papaya for a year or two. Among terrace garden plants that crop early, it is one of the few that gives fruit in its first season, though a container plant stays smaller and bears fewer fruits than one in the ground. Stand the drum on bricks and check the roof can take the weight.
• Not on a balcony, and not indoors. Papaya needs full sun, open air and room to grow tall. In low light it grows spindly and does not fruit.

Will papaya grow in my climate?

Papaya grows across most of India's plains and coast, and up to about 1,000 m in the hills. It likes steady warmth and does best between roughly 22 °C and 35 °C. According to the National Horticulture Board, winter nights that stay below about 12–14 °C for hours slow growth and fruiting badly, and frost kills the plant. It also dislikes strong wind, which can snap the hollow stem or tear the leaves. In north India, plant in a warm, sheltered spot and expect a pause in winter; on the eastern and southern plains, papaya grows almost all year.

Product Specifications

• Plant name: Papaya Plant (Papita / Pepe)
• Botanical name: Carica papaya
• Common names: Papaya; papita (Hindi), pepe (Bengali), papai (Marathi), pappali (Tamil), boppayi (Telugu)
• Plant family: Caricaceae
• Origin: Southern Mexico and Central America; grown in India since the sixteenth century
• Plant type: Fast-growing, short-lived tropical fruit plant (a giant herb with a tree-like habit)
• Foliage: Very large, deeply lobed leaves, often 50–70 cm across, on long hollow stalks, clustered at the top of the stem
• Flowers: Creamy white, lightly scented; borne in the leaf axils all year in warm weather
• Years to first fruit: First flowers in about four to six months; first ripe fruit in about eight to ten months after planting
• Fruiting season: Almost year-round once bearing; slower in cold winters
• Productive life: About two to three years of good cropping, then replace
• Fruit: Round to pear-shaped, green ripening to yellow-orange; orange to red flesh around black seeds; size depends on variety
• Growth habit: Single, unbranched, hollow stem topped by an umbrella of leaves
• Growth rate: Fast
• Mature size: About 2–3 m in two years; taller with age; smaller in a container
• Suitable placement: Garden, kitchen plot, courtyard, farmhouse; large sunny terrace in a half-drum; outdoors only
• Light requirement: Full sun, at least six hours of direct sun a day
• Water requirement: Moderate to high in hot weather; soil must drain freely; no waterlogging at any time
• Soil requirement: Deep, well-drained sandy loam rich in organic matter; pH about 6.5–7
• Climate: Tropical and warm subtropical; best at about 22–35 °C; harmed by cold nights, frost, strong wind and waterlogging
• Fertiliser: Compost or vermicompost monthly, or a balanced fertiliser every two months
• Common pests and problems: Collar or stem rot, papaya ringspot virus, leaf curl virus, mealybug, whitefly, aphids, fruit fly, birds
• Maintenance: Low to moderate; regular watering and feeding, removal of old leaves, careful drainage
• Difficulty level: Easy to moderate
• Suitable environment: Frost-free plains and coastal India, and warm hill slopes up to about 1,000 m
• Safety: Thornless; latex can irritate skin; not listed by the ASPCA; not classed as pet-safe

How do you plant and care for a papaya plant?

• Planting time. The National Horticulture Board lists three planting seasons: spring (February–March), monsoon (June–July) and autumn (October–November). On the heavy soils of the Bengal plains, spring and autumn are safest; if you plant in the rains, use a raised mound.
• Pit and soil. Dig a pit about 45–60 cm wide and deep and fill it with loose garden soil, well-rotted cow dung manure or compost, and a little neem cake. Deep, well-drained sandy loam with a pH of roughly 6.5–7 is ideal. Heavy clay must be loosened with sand and compost and raised above the surrounding ground.
• Planting. Set the plant at the same depth it sat in its pot, not deeper, and firm the soil gently. Never let soil pile up against the stem.
• Watering. Water deeply when the top few centimetres of soil feel dry: often every two or three days in summer, much less in the rains and in winter. Steady moisture keeps the flowers and small fruit from dropping. Standing water around the stem for even a day or two can rot the roots.
• Feeding. Papaya is a hungry, fast-growing plant. Add a handful of compost or vermicompost around the plant every month or so, or a balanced fertiliser every two months, keeping it a hand's width away from the stem.
• Mulch and support. A layer of dry leaves or straw keeps the roots cool in summer; keep it clear of the stem. In windy places, tie the young stem loosely to a stake.
• No pruning needed. Simply remove old yellow leaves at the bottom of the crown. Do not cut the top off a fruiting plant.

How long does a papaya plant take to give fruit?

A Red Lady-type papaya usually flowers about four to six months after planting and gives its first ripe fruit about eight to ten months after planting. Each fruit takes around four to five months to ripen after it sets. From then on, new fruit keeps forming up the stem, and a healthy plant bears well for about two to three years before its yield falls. Plant one or two young replacements every couple of years for a steady supply.

Male, female and bisexual papaya: will my plant fruit?

Papaya plants come in three sexes, and this decides whether you get fruit:

• Female plants carry large single flowers close to the stem and bear round fruit. They need pollen from a male or bisexual plant to set a full crop.
• Bisexual (hermaphrodite) plants carry flowers that pollinate themselves and bear longer, pear-shaped fruit. This is the type most nurseries prefer.
• Male plants carry small flowers on long hanging stalks and usually bear no useful fruit.

Varieties such as Red Lady, Pusa Delicious and Coorg Honey Dew produce only female and bisexual plants, so every plant can fruit and one plant on its own is enough. Local desi types and varieties such as Pusa Nanha produce separate male and female plants, and about half the seedlings turn out male. For those, grow three or four plants, wait for them to flower, then keep one male for every ten or so females. Seeds saved from a Red Lady fruit will not grow true, because it is a hybrid.

A year with pepe in Bengal

Our saplings are raised in the warm, humid Kolkata climate, and these timings suit most of the eastern plains.

February to March: spring planting. One of the best times to plant. Warm days and dry soil help the roots settle quickly.

April to May: fast growth. Water deeply every two or three days, mulch well and feed monthly. The plant can add several centimetres a week.

June to September: the rains. The riskiest months. Clear any standing water at once, keep soil away from the stem and watch for yellow, mottled leaves. Plants set out in spring often begin flowering now.

October to November: autumn planting and first fruit. The second good planting window. Spring plants start carrying clusters of green fruit, and the first ones are ready as green pepe for the kitchen.

December to January: the cool months. Growth slows. Water less, pick fruit as it colours, and protect young plants from cold wind in north Bengal.

When is a papaya ready to pick?

Pick papaya for eating when the green skin shows its first streaks of yellow at the tip and the fruit gives slightly to gentle pressure. The milky sap from a small scratch also turns watery as the fruit matures. Fruit picked at this stage finishes ripening on the kitchen counter in a few days and escapes birds and fruit flies. For cooking, pick fruit green and firm, at any size you like.

Why is my papaya plant dying, dropping fruit or not bearing?

• Stem rotting at soil level and the plant toppling. Collar or stem rot, caused by wet soil. Improve drainage at once, keep soil and mulch off the stem, and do not replant papaya in the same wet spot.
• Leaves mottled yellow-green, with dark rings on the fruit. Papaya ringspot virus, spread by aphids. There is no cure. Remove the plant to protect others, and keep aphids and weeds down.
• Leaves curling downward and shrinking. Leaf curl virus, spread by whitefly. Remove badly affected plants and spray neem oil to control whitefly.
• White, cottony clusters on leaves and fruit. Mealybug. Wipe them off and spray neem oil every seven to ten days until clear.
• Flowers or tiny fruit dropping. Usually dry spells, cold nights or hunger. Water evenly and feed regularly.
• Plenty of flowers on long stalks but no fruit. A male plant. Keep it only if it will pollinate females nearby.
• Fruit pecked or maggoty. Birds or fruit fly. Pick at first colour and bag fruit in paper or fine net.

Is the papaya tree safe around children and pets?

The tree has no thorns and ripe papaya is a much-loved family fruit. Two cautions matter. The milky latex in unripe fruit, leaves and stems can irritate skin, so wear gloves when cutting green papaya or trimming the plant. Pregnant women are commonly advised to avoid raw or half-ripe papaya, so ask your doctor before eating it. Carica papaya does not appear on the ASPCA lists of plants toxic or non-toxic to dogs and cats, so we do not class it as pet-safe. Keep pets away from leaves, green fruit and seeds.

What to plant with a papaya tree

Papaya ripens through the year, and it shares a warm, sunny, well-drained spot with several other home-garden favourites. Add a peyara sapling that crops in the rains and winter nearby, an ananas plant for the warm, well-drained bed beside it, and a curry leaf plant for the same kitchen-garden row so the green pepe and the tadka grow side by side. For more choices, browse our quick-bearing fruit plants for small gardens or check the best months to plant outdoors in each Indian season before you choose your planting date.

Grow your own papaya this season

Order now and your sapling can settle in before the cool months, ready to race ahead in spring. Each plant is raised and packed at our own nursery in West Bengal, so when you buy nursery plants online from us, you get a young fruit plant grown by the family that sells it. Give it your sunniest, best-drained spot, and within a year you could be picking papaya from your own tree.