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Floristic Inventory of the Florida Keys Database Online

Carica papaya L.
Papaya

Carica papaya
Copyright by: George D. Gann

Family: Caricaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Tree

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Peninsular Florida, the West Indies, southern Mexico, Central America and South America; widely cultivated and naturalized.

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Secure

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: Long considered non-native to Florida, prehistoric papaya seeds were recently discovered at a Calusa site near Fort Myers. For more infomation about papaya and its nativity in Florida, see Dan Ward's 2011 article in The Palmetto: 28-1, provided courtesy of the Florida Native Plant Society.

FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence: Present

FLORIDA KEYS Native Status: Native

IRC FLORIDA KEYS Status: Apparently Secure

Map of select IRC data for the Florida Keys

Florida Keys History and Distribution: Reported in 1913 by John Kunkel Small for hammocks, pinelands and disturbed areas from the upper Keys to the lower Keys.

Other data on Carica papaya available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants

Carica papaya has been reported from the following 21 conservation areas in the FLORIDA KEYS :
Occurrence Native Status
Bahia Honda State Park Present Native
Big Torch Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Present Native
Blue Heron Hammock, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Curry Hammock State Park Present Native
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Native
Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Dry Tortugas National Park Present Native
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Native
Key West National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Klopp Tract Present Native
Little Hamaca Park Present Native
Little Torch Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Long Key State Park Present Native
National Key Deer Refuge Present Native
Ramrod Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Sugarloaf Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Wahoo Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park Assumed to be Present Native




Carica papaya has been reported for the following 4 habitats in THE FLORIDA KEYS :
Coastal Berm
Disturbed Upland
Pine Rockland
Rockland Hammock


All Images:

Carica papaya
Copyright by: George D. Gann
Carica papaya
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer
Male plant
Carica papaya
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer
Female plant
Carica papaya
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley
Carica papaya
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley