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HS11

Scientific name: Carica papaya L.

Common names: Papaya and pawpaw (English and Spanish), malakor, loko, ma kuai thet (Thai), and du du (Vietnamese).

Family: Caricaceae Origin: The origin and center of diversification is Central America.

Relatives: Mountain papaya [also called chamburo (Vasconcellea pubescens)] and babaco (Vasconella x heilbornii).

Distribution: Throughout the tropical and subtropical world; in protected culture in cool subtropical regions.

History: Papaya was taken to the Caribbean and Southeast Asia first and then spread to India, Oceania, and Africa.

Importance: Papaya is a major commercial crop throughout the tropical and subtropical world and exported widely to areas where production is not possible. Florida has a small commercial industry.

Invasive potential: Carica papaya has not been evaluated using the UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Floridas Natural Areas (UF/IFAS Invasive Plant Working Group 2008).

1. This document is HS11, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date April 1994. Revised October 2005, October 2008, and November 2016. Reviewed December 2019. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.

2. Jonathan H. Crane, professor and tropical fruit crop specialist, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL.