Hermaphroditic Papaya

[edric]

Hi all, this is a self pollinating Papaya, a freak of nature, as this species is dioecious, separate male and female plants, every year for the last 7 or 8 years they would come up from seeds the birds would drop, this one made it through the winter this year, and is fruiting yearly this year, fruit is usually ripe in Feb., Ed

[QUINNPALMS]

Sounds like you got a bisexual tree!

There are 3 basic tree types, male plants, female plants, and hermaphroditic (bisexual) plants. Fruit is normally only produced from female and bisexual plants.

The inflorescence is a an elongated (25-100 cm long), branched cyme in male plants and a much reduced cyme for bisexual and female plants. Papaya is a polygamous species with 3 basic plant types. Male (staminate) plants, in which small, tubular, yellow flowers possessing only 10 anthers are held in cymes at the ends of long peduncles. Female (pistillate) plants with large yellow to whitish flowers which possess a large, superior ovary which is held on a much reduced cyme in the leaf axils along the trunk. Bisexual (hermaphroditic) plants possess perfect flowers held on a much reduced cyme in the leaf axils along the trunk.

[Neil C]

Bisexual plants are available here to buy but I always wondered wether seed produced by a bisexual plant would give rise to more bisexual plants?

Regards Neil

[edric]

A few photos I took this morning, Ed

[John Case]

Bisexual plants are available here to buy but I always wondered wether seed produced by a bisexual plant would give rise to more bisexual plants?

Regards Neil

I bought one and will see in 3 years, I guess!

[amazondk]

I was once told that if you stuck a nail in a male plant it would turn female. This news came from Miami Springs, Florida. I personally have never tried it to see of it worked or not.

dk

[John in Andalucia]

Bisexual plants are available here to buy but I always wondered wether seed produced by a bisexual plant would give rise to more bisexual plants?

Regards Neil

I bought one and will see in 3 years, I guess!

They certainly do! Here is my lone Papaya grown from seed from our neighbours hermaphrodite tree (behind, across the barranca). Papaya gender types was discussed in another thread a few weeks ago, especially how to identify each type by their flowers.

[edric]

I just thought I might add, that the one in the photos above, is just now 29 months old, Ed

[rprimbs]

I've got to get some seeds and grow some papayas! Where's a good place to buy seeds?

[Palms1984]

Bisexual plants are available here to buy but I always wondered wether seed produced by a bisexual plant would give rise to more bisexual plants?

Regards Neil

I bought one and will see in 3 years, I guess!

They certainly do! Here is my lone Papaya grown from seed from our neighbours hermaphrodite tree (behind, across the barranca). Papaya gender types was discussed in another thread a few weeks ago, especially how to identify each type by their flowers.

How old is you papaya plant? Is it a Mexican variety. The Mexican varieties tend to grow slowest and live and bear the longest here in San Diego, CA. At one time I had a papaya forest in my backyard. I had so much fruit I could barely give them all away.

[Palms1984]

A few photos I took this morning, Ed

Did you purposely cut the top off so it would have multiple branches?

[edric]

A few photos I took this morning, Ed

Did you purposely cut the top off so it would have multiple branches?

Hi Andy, No, 31 degrees this past winter, froze it off at about 2 feet up, it was only 2.5 inches in dia. in 12/2011 when it happened, but that's a method that I am accustomed to using on Cannabis, and if I have another tree, I will cut it to make it branch next time, mostly to keep it short, this plant is about 10 feet tall, Ed

[Palms1984]

A few photos I took this morning, Ed

Did you purposely cut the top off so it would have multiple branches?

Hi Andy, No, 31 degrees this past winter, froze it off at about 2 feet up, it was only 2.5 inches in dia. in 12/2011 when it happened, but that's a method that I am accustomed to using on Cannabis, and if I have another tree, I will cut it to make it branch next time, mostly to keep it short, this plant is about 10 feet tall, Ed

Thanks for the information! I have a papaya (in the front yard) which someone ripped the top off of on New Year's Day back in 2010. It has developed 6 branches and produces lots of fruit.

I need to figure out how to post pics on this new updated website.

[edric]

A few photos I took this morning, Ed

Did you purposely cut the top off so it would have multiple branches?

Hi Andy, No, 31 degrees this past winter, froze it off at about 2 feet up, it was only 2.5 inches in dia. in 12/2011 when it happened, but that's a method that I am accustomed to using on Cannabis, and if I have another tree, I will cut it to make it branch next time, mostly to keep it short, this plant is about 10 feet tall, Ed

Thanks for the information! I have a papaya (in the front yard) which someone ripped the top off of on New Year's Day back in 2010. It has developed 6 branches and produces lots of fruit.

I need to figure out how to post pics on this new updated website.

To add photos, choose more reply options, to post photos on someone else's thread, then click on choose file, the click on attach file, then same thing all over again, for another photo, or when you're done with adding photos click on post, Ed

[John in Andalucia]

Bisexual plants are available here to buy but I always wondered wether seed produced by a bisexual plant would give rise to more bisexual plants?

Regards Neil

I bought one and will see in 3 years, I guess!

They certainly do! Here is my lone Papaya grown from seed from our neighbours hermaphrodite tree (behind, across the barranca). Papaya gender types was discussed in another thread a few weeks ago, especially how to identify each type by their flowers.

How old is you papaya plant? Is it a Mexican variety. The Mexican varieties tend to grow slowest and live and bear the longest here in San Diego, CA. At one time I had a papaya forest in my backyard. I had so much fruit I could barely give them all away.

I can't remember, to be honest. I would say 2 full years in pots and then planted this one out at the start of summer. Mexican variety, yes. It's fun to watch them grow, week by week. I have 4 more in pots, because I was aware of how much they would dominate the garden. Our neighbour couldn't give enough of his papaya fruits away either.

[Palms1984]

John:

Thanks for the information! I have one that is over two years old and is about the same size. It produces a lot of fruit. It would be a lot taller if the top wasn't ripped off. Although, now it has 6 fruit-bearing branches.

Do you have problems with bugs eating the trunk? I have major problems with sow bugs eating and boring holes in the trunks. Once there's a hole in the trunk every known bug moves in...at this point I just cut the plant down.

Here's a few pics of my papaya plants. The first two photos (left) were taken in June of my Thai dwarf papaya fruit. Third photo is of my young Maradol. The last photo is my oldest Maradol papaya which collapsed in April...it was more than 9 years old.

[Palms1984]

Edric, thank you so much for the information!

[edric]

Edric, thank you so much for the information!

Glad to help Andy, no prob. with bugs, the only problem is old man winter, trying to get three years in a row as of late, or even two, where it stays above 31 is trying, Ed

[Palms1984]

Edric, thank you so much for the information!

Glad to help Andy, no prob. with bugs, the only problem is old man winter, trying to get three years in a row as of late, or even two, where it stays above 31 is trying, Ed

You're very lucky! I've always heard and read Florida has a lot of bugs.

I'm very surprised you get such cold temps so far south and close to the ocean. I'm very lucky because the coldest temps (in almost 10 years) I've recorded here on a south slope (close to San Diego State University) is one low of 34 degrees and two consecutive 39 degree mornings back in January of 2007 . This was during the coldest spell in the San Diego area in 60 years.

[edric]

Edric, thank you so much for the information!

Glad to help Andy, no prob. with bugs, the only problem is old man winter, trying to get three years in a row as of late, or even two, where it stays above 31 is trying, Ed

You're very lucky! I've always heard and read Florida has a lot of bugs.

I'm very surprised you get such cold temps so far south and close to the ocean. I'm very lucky because the coldest temps (in almost 10 years) I've recorded here on a south slope (close to San Diego State University) is one low of 34 degrees and two consecutive 39 degree mornings back in January of 2007 . This was during the coldest spell in the San Diego area in 60 years.

Hi Andy, cold isn't the word, the winter before last it was down to 25 for 4 hours three nights in a row (coldest winter here in recorded history), and the winter before that, it got down to 26 for 3 hours, three nights in a row, last winter was 31, but before those two hard freezes we had 3 or 4 winters in a row with no freeze, Ed

[Palms1984]

Edric, thank you so much for the information!

Glad to help Andy, no prob. with bugs, the only problem is old man winter, trying to get three years in a row as of late, or even two, where it stays above 31 is trying, Ed

You're very lucky! I've always heard and read Florida has a lot of bugs.

I'm very surprised you get such cold temps so far south and close to the ocean. I'm very lucky because the coldest temps (in almost 10 years) I've recorded here on a south slope (close to San Diego State University) is one low of 34 degrees and two consecutive 39 degree mornings back in January of 2007 . This was during the coldest spell in the San Diego area in 60 years.

Hi Andy, cold isn't the word, the winter before last it was down to 25 for 4 hours three nights in a row (coldest winter here in recorded history), and the winter before that, it got down to 26 for 3 hours, three nights in a row, last winter was 31, but before those two hard freezes we had 3 or 4 winters in a row with no freeze, Ed

That's sure a lot of cold! I did read a lot about the horrible freeze of 2010 which affected most of Florida. Hopefully, Florida won't experience such a horrible freeze again!

[cagary]

Here in southern California the long cool winters destroy the sweetness in a papaya. I've tried almost every cultivar available with every kind of fertilizer and soil additive you can think of with always the same result.

Big, beautiful papaya plants, gorgeous orange fruit, but no real papaya taste to speak of. The last one I tried was from Gary over at the now defunct Laguna Hills Nursery. His "Florida Jack" was supposedly resistent to our winters and produced sweet fruit. Sorry, not true.

I guess that if one has never had a papaya in Hawaii where the trees never experience temperatures below 55 or even 60 degrees, CA papayas might not seem too bad.

The best thing I have found to do with them is throw some in a blender with sweet, slightly over ripe bananas, some ice and a little cold milk. These papaya smoothies can be quite good.

(This post is in no way meant to discourage anyone from growing Papayas in southern CA. I just don't people to think that perhaps they are doing something wrong when the papayas come out tasting bland.)

[Palms1984]

Here in southern California the long cool winters destroy the sweetness in a papaya. I've tried almost every cultivar available with every kind of fertilizer and soil additive you can think of with always the same result.

Big, beautiful papaya plants, gorgeous orange fruit, but no real papaya taste to speak of. The last one I tried was from Gary over at the now defunct Laguna Hills Nursery. His "Florida Jack" was supposedly resistent to our winters and produced sweet fruit. Sorry, not true.

I guess that if one has never had a papaya in Hawaii where the trees never experience temperatures below 55 or even 60 degrees, CA papayas might not seem too bad.

The best thing I have found to do with them is throw some in a blender with sweet, slightly over ripe bananas, some ice and a little cold milk. These papaya smoothies can be quite good.

(This post is in no way meant to discourage anyone from growing Papayas in southern CA. I just don't people to think that perhaps they are doing something wrong when the papayas come out tasting bland.)

Cagary:

I'm from Hawai'i originally...so I know what good papayas taste like. With this being said: I've been growing papayas (several varieties) in San Diego for many years. Many times my papayas will ripen from Oct - April or later, and they are as sweet as candy! (even in the middle of winter). The secret is to let the papaya fruit ripen on the the plant. I know it can be a challenge is some areas, because of birds, bugs and other animals. I protect the fruits with nylon..this helps prevents sunburn.

Some of the many papaya plants in my neighborhood (by San Diego State) have much larger fruit than even my plants.