Best Variety of Papaya: Compare Characteristics and Suitability
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Papaya varieties differ more than most shoppers expect: fruit weight runs from half a pound to 22 pounds, and flesh color runs from yellow to red. The best papaya variety depends on size, sweetness, and use, whether the plan is eating the fruit or planting the tree.
Types of Papaya
Papaya falls into two main groups, small Hawaiian fruit and large Mexican fruit. A ripe papaya has orange pulp around a central cavity lined with small black seeds, and the varieties differ in size, flesh color, sweetness, and plant sex ratio. Only female and bisexual plants bear fruit, and bisexual plants produce small to large elongated fruit while female plants produce round fruit with a larger seed cavity. These are the types Everglades Farm carries as trees.
Hawaiian Papaya Tree: Hawaiian papayas are small, pear-shaped, and sweet, with fruit small enough for one person to finish. Commercial Hawaiian fruit includes SunUp and Rainbow, which are genetically modified to resist the ringspot virus disease, while conventional small pear-shaped types are more susceptible to it.
Solo Papaya Dwarf Tree: Solo-type papayas are known for superior sweetness and flavor, and many Solo varieties are estimated to have a higher sugar content than Maradol. Solo types also tend to be more susceptible to papaya ringspot virus.
Red Lady Papaya Dwarf Tree: Red Lady is an F1 hybrid from Taiwan with a compact plant and firm red flesh. Fruit reaches up to 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds), the plant is tolerant to papaya ringspot virus, and it produces a 50/50 ratio of bisexual to female plants.
T.R. Hovey Dwarf Papaya Tree: T.R. Hovey is a compact, self-pollinating dwarf that grows well in large containers with full sun and good drainage.
Broadleaf Dwarf Papaya Plant: Broadleaf has large lobed leaves and bears pear-shaped fruit that is orange or yellow when ripe.
Maradol Red Dwarf Papaya Tree: Maradol is the most abundant Mexican type. Its firm fruit averages 1.5 to 2.6 kilograms (3.3 to 5.7 pounds) with deep red flesh, and trees can fruit as soon as 7 months after planting.
Yellow Mexican Papaya Tree: Yellow Mexican is a Mexican type, and Mexican papayas run much larger than Hawaiian ones.
Tainung-1 Papaya Plant: Tainung-1 is an F1 hybrid from Taiwan that grows taller and produces more than Red Lady. Its red-fleshed fruit averages 1.1 kilograms (2.4 pounds) and is not quite as sweet as Red Lady, and the plant has some tolerance to ringspot virus.
Papaya F1 Sunshine: F1 Sunshine is a hybrid bred for strong growth and high tolerance to papaya ringspot virus, with uniform orange fruit.
Babaco Papaya Plant: Babaco, also called mountain papaya, is a small shrub that grows to about 6 feet. It sets seedless, five-sided fruit with an edible skin and a flavor with overtones of strawberry, pineapple, and papaya, and it suits container culture.
👉 Shop Our Papaya Trees at Everglades Farm
Papaya Seasonality
Fresh papayas reach the US market year-round, and the peak import season runs from March to June, when about 42 percent of imports sell and prices are usually lowest. Mexico has supplied about three-quarters of US fresh imports, and the United States takes more than half of global papaya imports.
Domestic availability follows climate. South Florida grows papaya year-round, with the largest production in summer and fall, and Hawaiian plants can bear fruit year-round except when hot, dry weather causes temporary sterility. Papaya originated in Central America and grows best in a tropical climate with well-distributed rainfall and temperatures between 70°F and 90°F. Flowering can be inhibited below 59°F, and flowers may drop above 90°F.
Buying and Storing Papaya
Green papayas are not ripe, while red and orange skin signals a riper fruit that feels slightly soft to the touch but not overly soft. Papaya doesn't get sweeter after picking, so a fruit that already shows yellow or orange is the better buy for eating fresh.
Store an unripe papaya at room temperature until it ripens. Once it is ripe, move it to the refrigerator, where fresh papaya keeps 4 to 7 days. Green papayas hold up for cooking.
Nutritional Value of Papaya
A medium papaya of about 275 grams has about 142 calories, 2 grams of protein, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fat, 6 grams of fiber, and 26 grams of sugar. Its nutrition profile also includes more than 200 percent of the daily vitamin C. Other nutrients include folate, vitamin A, copper, magnesium, potassium, and pantothenic acid.
Diets high in antioxidants such as vitamin C may reduce the risk of heart disease, and high-fiber diets lower cholesterol. Papaya contains the enzymes papain and chymopapain, which help digest proteins. Papaya flesh carries natural sugars, so anyone limiting sugar should eat an amount that fits their health needs, and some people have allergic reactions. Papaya seeds are edible but more bitter than the fruit.
Culinary Uses and Recipes
Ripe papaya goes into fruit salads, drinks, and desserts, and it is also dried, candied, or made into pastes, jellies, and jams. Salsa, relish, and smoothies are common, and a smoothie blends 1 cup of cubed ripe papaya with a ripe banana, Greek yogurt, milk, honey, and ice.
Green papaya is cooked as a vegetable or shredded raw into salads, including som tum, the Southeast Asian green papaya salad. Pound 2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic with 2 to 3 Thai bird's eye chilies, then stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 to 2 tablespoons of palm sugar or brown sugar. Toss the dressing with 1 small shredded green papaya, 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes, and ¼ cup of chopped roasted peanuts, and serve with lime wedges. Cut green papaya releases a milky latex that can irritate skin.
🌴 Ready to Grow Your Own Papaya Tree?
The right papaya tree can transform your garden into a tropical paradise. Order yours from Everglades Farm today and enjoy fresh fruit grown at home.
🔗 Learn more:
Read: Which Papaya is Best for Your Garden?
How to Grow a Papaya Tree from Seed
5 Steps to Grow a Hawaiian Papaya Tree Successfully
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Best Papaya Variety?
No single variety wins on every count. Red Lady is compact and sweet, Maradol has large red-fleshed fruit, and Hawaiian papayas are small and sweet.
How Do You Know When a Papaya Is Ripe?
Red and orange skin means a riper papaya, and the fruit should feel slightly soft to the touch but not overly soft.
How Long Does a Ripe Papaya Last?
A ripe papaya keeps 4 to 7 days in the refrigerator after it ripens at room temperature.
Are Papaya Seeds Edible?
Yes, papaya seeds are edible, though they are more bitter than the fruit.
When Is Papaya in Season?
Fresh papayas are imported year-round, with the peak from March to June, and South Florida production is largest in summer and fall.
References
University of Florida IFAS Extension, "Papaya Growing in the Florida Home Landscape"
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG054
University of Florida IFAS Extension, "An Overview of US Papaya Production, Trade, and Consumption"
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FE914
UC Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, "Papayas"
https://www.wifss.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Papayas_PDF.pdf
WebMD, "Health Benefits of Papaya"
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-papaya
ECHO, "Papaya Varieties"
https://www.echocommunity.org/plants/68/plant_varieties
