papaya
Carica papaya · Caricaceae
papaya (Carica papaya) is a perennial tree in the Caricaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 10 and warmer, down to about 32°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 20 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | high USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–8 USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 10 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | understory Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having needs consistently moist ground. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 10.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 20 ft, making it a small tree or large shrub. It grows quickly.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is white-gray, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is year round. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 60 to 80 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 40 inches, too deep for containers or thin soil over bedrock. Fertility requirement: high.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed and container stock. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a moderate rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated none. Its growth form is recorded as single stem.
Role in a guild
Understory. In a layered planting this is the layer beneath the canopy, tall enough to hold structure but shaded from above. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- grapefruit Citrus ×paradisi
- pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida
- guava Psidium guajava
- Portia tree Thespesia populnea
- corn Zea mays
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol CAPA23, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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