Papaya is not a tree, it is a small evergreen tree plant with a height of 5-10 meters, with ovate leaves, pink flowers and dark yellow fruits with a certain aroma, which ripen in September-October.
Characteristics of papaya
There are two general categories of papaya, the medicinal wrinkled-skinned papaya and the edible papaya. Most of the wrinkled-skinned papaya trees are shorter shrubs, with mature plants about 2 meters tall, and the fruits, branches and leaves are used medicinally as well as as an ornamental plant.
The common papaya tree is a small soft evergreen tree, plant height ranging from 3-10 meters, not as an ornamental plant, the main distribution area in the tropics, a few subtropical areas are also distributed.
Characteristics: papaya fruit by the thickening of the ovary wall, containing carotenoids, flesh color from orange to orange-red, the heart of the larger cavity hoarding dark seeds, is not starch storage of more annual type of fruit, from the heart of the fruit from the inside out of the gradual ripening of the carotenoids and the fruit's aroma will also grow several times, and the flesh softened.
Papaya grows where
Papaya tree like to grow in a place with plenty of light, which is also conducive to flowering, fruit, it has a strong drought tolerance, but does not tolerate shade and humidity, and its fear of flooding, so to avoid stagnant water, especially like high temperature and dry climate, higher temperatures and plenty of light, then not only growth is vigorous, the fruit sugar content is also high.
Papaya cold hardiness is relatively weak, fruit growth period, such as low temperatures, not only slow growth, fruit sugar will be low, and the flesh color is relatively light, suitable for planting temperatures of 26-32 ℃, the average monthly temperature needs to be higher than 16 ℃ in order to grow normally.
Papaya planted in China is very extensive, the origin of the main Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Shandong, Shaanxi, Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Guangxi and other regions.
Pictures of papayas