From All-Creatures
The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation




Growing a Papaya Tree From Seed


Papaya fruit







Select a nice large papaya from the market, and let it fully ripen on our counter top next to the bananas.
Papaya halves









When the large red papaya has fully ripened, and ready to eat, cut it in half. Save seeds to plant in a pot.
Papaya seeds

The seeds, not all of them have fully ripened (darkened).
Prepare a 6 inch diameter pot with about an inch of drainage stones on the bottom and potting soil to fill the pot to the top. Plant the seeds about three inches apart and about one-half inch deep, and gently watered the soil until it was soaked. Place the pot beside the window so it could receive plenty of sunlight, and check the soil every day to make sure it didn't dry out, as the seeds must be kept moist. Leaf habit
Sprouting of seeds into seven lobed leaves








After about a week the seeds began to sprout and grow into a tree with these beautiful seven lobed leaves. Leaf habit
Flower buds growing from the papaya tree's leaf axils at the top of the tree









Flower buds growing from the papaya tree's leaf axils at the top of the tree. Leaf habit
Leaf










Papaya tree leaves. Leaf habit
closer look at the veining and other details of the leaf construction












In this photo we have a closer look at the veining and other details of the leaf construction. Leaf habit
Another look at the flower buds that grow from the leaf axil









This is another look at the flower buds that grow from the leaf axil of the papaya tree. Leaf habit
New leaves sprouting












At the very top of the papaya tree trunk, we can see the new leaves sprouting, and just below them are the flower buds. The two buds on the right are just beginning to develop, and the one on the left is fully developed. Leaf habit
Another look at the newly sprouting leaves









This is another look at the newly sprouting leaves at the top of the papaya tree. Leaf habit
Close up look















This is a close up look at the newly sprouting papaya tree leaves. Leaf habit
Mature papaya flower bud










This is another look at a mature papaya flower bud. Leaf habit
This is a close up look at the mature papaya flower bud

















This is a close up look at the mature papaya flower
bud. Leaf habit
The papaya flower bud begins to open.










The papaya flower bud begins to open. Leaf habit
This is a close up look at the papaya flower bud as it begins to open.










This is a close up look at the papaya flower bud as it begins to open. Leaf habit
This is another photo of the budding papaya tree.










This is another photo of the budding papaya tree. Leaf habit
And then, the next day, the papaya flower burst into bloom.









And then, the next day, the papaya flower burst into bloom. Leaf habit
This is a close up look at the papaya flower.










This is a close up look at the papaya flower. It was very exciting for us to see this tropical tree blooming in our home. Leaf habit
This is another view of the papaya tree flower.










This is another view of the papaya tree flower. Leaf habit
This is a close up look at the top of the papaya tree with its new leaves and flower.












This is a close up look at the top of the papaya tree with its new leaves and flower. Leaf habit
Fully matured papaya flower









This is a close up look at a fully matured papaya flower. Leaf habit
This is another view of the mature papaya flower.










This is another view of the mature papaya flower. Leaf habit
New leaf growth and the flower









In this photo, we are looking down from the top of the papaya tree at the new leaf growth and the flower. Leaf habit
The papaya flower has mostly fallen away, and the ovary is beginning to swell into the fruit








In this photo, we can see that the papaya flower has mostly fallen away, and the ovary is beginning to swell into the fruit. Leaf habit
This is a closer look at newly developing papaya fruit.















This is a closer look at newly developing papaya fruit. Leaf habit
In this photo, we are looking straight down at the newly developing papaya fruit.








In this photo, we are looking straight down at the newly developing papaya fruit. Note the newly developing buds in the leaf axils (below). Leaf habit
This is a close up top view of a newly developing papaya fruit.










This is a close up top view of a newly developing papaya fruit. Leaf habit
This is another view of the newly developing papaya fruit.









This is another view of the newly developing papaya fruit. Leaf habit
We can see the five pistils still clinging to the top














In this close up look at the newly developing papaya fruit, we can see the five pistils still clinging to the
top. Leaf habit
The papaya ovary continued to swell.










The papaya ovary continued to swell. Leaf habit
This is a close up silhouette look at the swollen papaya ovary.
















This is a close up silhouette look at the swollen papaya ovary. Leaf habit
More flower buds began to develop in the upper leaf axils









As the papaya tree matured, more flower buds began to develop in the upper leaf axils. Leaf habit
This is a closer look at the newly developing papaya buds.












This is a closer look at the newly developing papaya buds. Leaf habit
This is another look at the newly developing papaya flower buds.









This is another look at the newly developing papaya flower buds. Leaf habit
There are almost always new flower buds developing on the papaya tree.









There are almost always new flower buds developing on the papaya tree. Leaf habit
This is a closer look at the newly developing flower buds.











This is a closer look at the newly developing flower buds. Leaf habit
The swollen papaya ovaries never mature into fruit, because they have not been fertilized by the pollen from a male papaya flower








Unfortunately, the swollen papaya ovaries never mature into fruit, because they have not been fertilized by the pollen from a male papaya flower. It appears that our papaya tree is only a female. Leaf habit
Papaya trees can be either male or female, or they can have both sexes on the same tree






From what we have learned, papaya trees can be either male or female, or they can have both sexes on the same tree. Since our tree is only female, and we don't have a male tree to fertilize the female flowers, the ovaries begin to wither and sag, and then fall off the tree. Leaf habit
Undeveloped papaya fruit








We open one of the fallen undeveloped papaya fruit and it to be a miniature of the mature fruit, except that the seeds have never developed. Leaf habit
This is a closer look at the undeveloped papaya fruit.













This is a closer look at the undeveloped papaya
fruit. Leaf habit
The papaya tree continued to grow taller and produce more leaves and flowers.









The papaya tree continued to grow taller and produce more leaves and flowers. Leaf habit
This is another look at the undeveloped papaya fruit.






This is another undeveloped papaya fruit that is ready to fall off the tree. Even though we haven't had any mature fruit from our papaya tree, it has still been exciting to watch it grow, and it has also become a conversation piece for our guests. Leaf habit
This is another look at the undeveloped papaya fruit.









This is another look at the undeveloped papaya
fruit. Leaf habit
This is a close up look at the remains of the papaya flower at the end of the swollen ovary.









This is a close up look at the remains of the papaya flower at the end of the swollen ovary. Leaf habit
When the papaya grew to the top of the sliding glass door, we transplanted it to the planter in the center of our home





Our papaya tree continued to grow until it was almost as tall as our sliding glass door.

When the papaya grew to the top of the sliding glass door, we transplanted it to the planter in the center of our home. Leaf habit
The papaya tree continued to thrive under the skylights






The papaya tree continued to thrive under the skylights and the Spring of 2007 it was nearly eight feet tall. In the background can be seen the palm bows of our date palms, but that is a story for another photo journal. Leaf habit
I grew the tree from a seed.














On 21 Mar 2008, Linda J. Kopie sent us this photo and note: Hi, I planted this tree in my yard in Florida almost 3 years ago. It is 15 feet tall, and I sent you a picture of the fruit on it. I grew the tree from a seed. It is so tall, I can't reach the fruit without a 12 foot ladder. Leaf habit
We let them fully ripen on the tree and harvest them when yellow. On 12 Dec 2010, Robert Magbanua sent us this photo and wrote: Hi Frank, Our 1-yr old papayas, which we planted in our yard in south Florida from the seeds of a papaya we purchased in a supermarket, have started to ripen. We let them fully ripen on the tree and harvest them when yellow. That way it is sweet and save space inside the house. We used to dig holes around them for organic trash like vegetable peelings and other compost materials. Papayas are great for the digestive system and if you are constipated these are natural laxatives. Bob
Leaf habit



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© 2002-2011 - The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation.
Bibliography

"Growing a Papaya Tree from Seed." The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation, all-creatures.org. Accessed 15 Jan. 2014.

Published 19 Apr. 2014 LR. Last update 24 Nov. 2014 LR
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