Papaya
Papaya is a fruit in the Caricaceae family. It grows best in full sun with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 10-11.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Papaya
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Tropical (seed) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Fast tropical fruit. Note: Often dioecious - may need male and female (or hermaphrodite) plants.
Papaya (Carica papaya) is a fast-growing tropical that can fruit within a year from seed; frost-tender and short-lived, it is grown as a container or greenhouse plant outside the tropics.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Carica papaya|Hardiness zones: 10-11|Propagation: seed|Light: Full sun|Water: Medium|Mature size: 6-20 feet
Plan your papaya planting
Add papaya to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Refrigerate ripe fruit; ripen firm fruit at room temperature.
- Freeze: Freezes well raw; spread on a tray first so pieces stay loose.
- Preserve: Make jam or water-bath can high-acid fruit.
- Dry: Dehydrate or air-dry, then store airtight away from light.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting
No curated care & troubleshooting advice for papaya yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.