Pawpaw
Carica papaya
Papaya
Classification: Caricaceae
Distribution: tropical America
Growing height: up to 10 m
Uses: fruit
The Pawpaw is an evergreen plant with a green, herbaceous trunk. When maturing, the trunk lignifies with the typical leaf stigmas. The plant only becomes 6 – 7 years old. In botanical terminology the tasty fruit are classified as berries. They grow directly on the trunk, at the base of the crown.
Since the beginning of the 16th century the Pawpaw was shipped from its origin South America to the Old World. Today it is found in tropical regions worldwide.
