Volunteer Papayas

[YumaMarc]

My volunteer papaya trees are bearing fruit now. Six months ago they were just small weeds, now about 10 feet tall and full of blossoms. I count at least 15 little papayas so far, with about as many new blossoms.

Papayas are really weird. They're really more a weed than a tree. They have no limbs, only leaf stems that look like limbs for a while. The blossoms emerge from the base of the leaf stem, then when the baby papaya starts to grow the leaf and stem fall off, leaving the fruit to grow directly from the plant trunk. Strange...

 

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[tamrock]

I never eaten one. I guess they smell like feet, before they ripen and are best tasting when fully ripe. Eating too many can give you diarrhea.

 

[YumaMarc]

There are a few varieties, but I've never found one that smelled like feet. The two most common types are the smaller roundish ones with yellow colored flesh when ripe. The others, most common locally here, are larger, longer and salmon colored. Maybe they smell and taste differently. First time I tried one it had a slightly "earthy" taste, but not at all like "feet". Perhaps they're like Brie, not that great at first but an acquired taste that's easy to acquire.

 

[Blak bart]

It's all about the breed.....some are much better than others. They do grow like weeds here in the keys. Sometimes they will grow for years in the same area through self propagation. We got some giant strain this year from the neighbors they were as big as cantaloupes and great tasting.

 

[Blak bart]

My neighbors place this morning

 

[Blak bart]

2 different strains....both good.

This Hawaiian one is blooming....they smell incredible !!

 

[Blak bart]

 

[tamrock]

I seen them trees in Southern California. So that a papaya tree I was looking at.

 

[YumaMarc]

They are a bit strange! Sometimes I don't know how they hold up all that weight.

 

[worldtalker]

They are a bit strange! Sometimes I don't know how they hold up all that weight.

How does anything do what it does...The CREATOR.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Thank you for sharing!