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neferset · 07-13-2009, 06:55 PM

I noticed a few weeks ago that I am not the only tropical fruit grower ever to live here (though I don't know the story behind it). There is a pot with a label on it that is for a Grand Nain banana in my shed just up the hill from my house.

Last year, I noticed that I had a tall weed growing on the side of the front porch (roughly East facing) and the weed was forming a small green fruit. It was growing a couple feet above the height of the porch so that most likely put it at about 4 or 5 feet tall.

We have goats. Our goats jump fences. The top half of the weed became goat food (or rather the leaves did and the trunk was broken off). I didn't think about it for a year or so. I never got to see the final fruit.

I was trying to find information on pawpaw trees when I stumbled on an article that had a picture of my weed. My weed looks just like a papaya. It is *still* growing off the side of my porch near the chimney. It has sent branches to either side of the trunk and is no longer just a straight/tall plant (probably due to last year's break). It has about 3 or 4 small fruits forming.

I'd like to see these fruit live into maturity. I'm not sure I will. Did I mention that we live in Western North Carolina? Is this really a papaya? It doesn't have the oval pawpaw leaf at all. I have no idea how the papaya, if it really is a papaya, got here and I did nothing to protect it last year.

I have misplaced my camera. I will need to find it in order to post pictures. However, the leaves look exactly like the leaves you see in this article:

Importance of the post-production system for Paw Paw in developing countries

The fruits are small, green, and lightly veined. They look like immature melons.

(Edit: That article says PawPaw but uses the scientific name for papaya.)

07-13-2009, 06:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
neferset Dread Pirate Cavendish Find me on the map! Zone: 6 or 7 Name: Neferset Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 79 BananaBucks : 10,401 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 48 Times Was Thanked 80 Times in 43 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Volunteer...Papaya? I noticed a few weeks ago that I am not the only tropical fruit grower ever to live here (though I don't know the story behind it). There is a pot with a label on it that is for a Grand Nain banana in my shed just up the hill from my house. Last year, I noticed that I had a tall weed growing on the side of the front porch (roughly East facing) and the weed was forming a small green fruit. It was growing a couple feet above the height of the porch so that most likely put it at about 4 or 5 feet tall. We have goats. Our goats jump fences. The top half of the weed became goat food (or rather the leaves did and the trunk was broken off). I didn't think about it for a year or so. I never got to see the final fruit. I was trying to find information on pawpaw trees when I stumbled on an article that had a picture of my weed. My weed looks just like a papaya. It is still growing off the side of my porch near the chimney. It has sent branches to either side of the trunk and is no longer just a straight/tall plant (probably due to last year's break). It has about 3 or 4 small fruits forming. I'd like to see these fruit live into maturity. I'm not sure I will. Did I mention that we live in Western North Carolina? Is this really a papaya? It doesn't have the oval pawpaw leaf at all. I have no idea how the papaya, if it really is a papaya, got here and I did nothing to protect it last year. I have misplaced my camera. I will need to find it in order to post pictures. However, the leaves look exactly like the leaves you see in this article: Importance of the post-production system for Paw Paw in developing countries The fruits are small, green, and lightly veined. They look like immature melons. (Edit: That article says PawPaw but uses the scientific name for papaya.) __________________ Caretaker of the Undead Meyer Lemon.