Pawpaw (Papaya) Trees

Pawpaw (papaya) trees will sprout up just about anywhere on Barbados. I have one growing wild behind my house next to a tree stump. I would guess that a bird (or could’ve been a monkey) that had eaten some pawpaw including at least one seed, perched on the stump and pooped out a seed. That seed that arrived on the ground complete with fertilizer, has now sprouted to become a young tree about four feet tall and growing.

I will have to keep a close eye on this tree as it gets bigger to ascertain whether it is a male or a female tree (yes, that’s right), and if it’s the latter, it won’t produce any fruit unless there is a male tree nearby ... which there isn’t. Unfortunately, this one may already be showing signs of disease.

The pawpaws in Barbados have been devastated by Bunchy Top Disease in recent years. Entire crops of trees have been wiped out, and the few trees that are still around are struggling to survive. It’s easy to tell if the tree is infected as the leaves at the bottom start to turn brown and shrivel (like the one in the photo), and then it gradually takes over the entire tree. One is supposed to cut down the tree immediately it becomes apparent that it is diseased, but most people wait and harvest the few fruits that are produced before the entire tree is overtaken by the disease. However, a few trees around the island have survived, but the vast majority of pawpaws available for purchase are now imported.

The pawpaw is a milk tree, and the sap is poisonous, stains clothing and will blister your skin if not washed off thoroughly. If you pick the green fruit, you must score the skin with a knife to let the milk drain out or the fruit will be bitter when it ripens. Green pawpaws are made into a delicious stew using brown sugar, molasses, a piece of cinnamon stick and some vanilla - yummy served warm with some ice cream.

The leaves are large and fingered, similar to those found on the breadfruit family of trees. The stalk of the tree is ridged with growth circles and the flowers are a non-descript pale yellow-green colour, flowers that become magnificent dark green and then orange fruit as they ripen. The size and shape of the fruit can vary quite a lot from small pear-shaped specimens to enormous 3 lb fruits with thick flesh. I have had delicious pawpaws that are just a few inches in length but are oh so sweet. A squeeze of lime on the fruit can enhance the flavour too. It’s hard to beat a good pawpaw!

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.