Papayas are incredibly yummy and healthy fruits from the tropics. They’re packed with vitamins and come in different forms, each offering unique tastes and textures.

Today, we’re going to explore 19 exciting papaya varieties. You’ll be amazed by the different colors and sizes these fruits can have! We’ll take you through a detailed journey and show you photos, so you’ll know exactly which type you’d like to try.

A Guide to 19 Papaya Varieties

1. Solo Papaya

The Solo papaya is a small to medium-sized fruit, often found in Hawaii. It has a long, cylindrical shape and comes with vibrant orange flesh, wrapped in a thin, smooth skin. This fruit is perfect when fully ripe and has a sweet and refreshing taste that’s ideal for smoothies, salads, and more.

Solo papayas thrive in tropical weather and like nutrient-rich, well-draining soil. They are tough plants that don’t mind drought or pests too much. With the proper environment, growing solo papayas is pretty straightforward.

2. Sunrise Papaya

Native to Hawaii, the Sunrise Papaya, also known as Strawberry Papaya, is distinguished by its reddish-orange flesh that tastes a bit like berries, peaches, and melons. It’s available year-round and is easy to find in many stores.

This variety has a smaller pocket of seeds, which makes it easy to clean and get ready to eat. The Sunrise Papaya has a thin, smooth skin and a sweet, slightly tangy flesh. Enjoy it raw or use it to brighten up your meals, like in desserts or drinks.

3. Maradol Papaya

The Maradol papaya is a big fruit with a oval-like shape, famous for its delightfully sweet and juicy flavor. It’s one of the best-loved papaya types in the market and is often used in large-scale farming. This variety can weigh quite a bit – around 4-5 pounds – and has a sturdy green skin that turns yellow when it’s time to eat.

You can grow Maradol papayas in warm climates. They’re great for juicing and making preserves. These trees need full sun, lots of water without drowning them, and rich soil to grow well.

4. Formosa Papaya

Check out the Formosa papaya, a big long fruit with a smooth taste. It’s a hit in Taiwan and Southeast Asia and can get pretty heavy (3-4 pounds). The skin starts off light green and turns yellow as it matures.

Enjoy Formosa papaya as a snack, in recipes, or blended into drinks. It’s also a sturdy plant, bigger than Solo papayas, so it needs more room to grow.

5. Washington Papaya

The Washington papaya is a designed hybrid for warm places like Hawaii and Florida. It’s known for being big, juicy, and eye-catchingly orange. These fruit can tip the scales at over four pounds and come with a smooth, easy-to-peel skin.

This tree is taller than many papayas, reaching up to 15 feet, and it’s a prolific fruit bearer, excellent for creating juices and processed foods.

6. Hawaiian Papaya

The Hawaiian papaya is special because it comes straight from the Hawaiian Islands. It’s sweet and light, which makes it really popular with both locals and visitors.

This tropical delight usually weighs in between 1-2 pounds. It’s on the smaller side compared to some other types. Great for a quick, nutritious snack!

This fruit tree is very easy to grow and can reach up to 12 feet tall. Its shape is compact, which means it doesn’t take up much space.

The tree is also tough in the face of the papaya ringspot virus, which can harm a lot of papaya trees. Because of how well it handles this virus and other good qualities, it is a perfect choice for people who want to grow papayas in their backyard.

7. Mexican Papaya

The Mexican papaya, also from Mexico, is famous for being sweet and full of juice. It’s a big fruit, weighing between 3-10 pounds, and turns from green to yellow when ready. It lasts long after harvesting which is great for selling them far from where they’re grown; they should be picked only once they’re ripe though.

You can eat Mexican papayas on their own, stir them into fruit salads, blend them into yummy drinks, or add them into desserts. If you wish to grow this type of papaya, make sure it gets a lot of sun, heat, and well-drained soil that has plenty of organic stuff in it. Water it regularly to keep the soil moist, and use fertilizer now and then to help it grow well. Pruning the tree can also help it stay healthy and keep a good shape.

If you give your Mexican papaya the best care and conditions, you will soon have a lot of tasty fruit to enjoy.

8. Bettina Papaya

In Queensland, Australia, people grow the Bettina Papaya. It’s an easy fruit to grow at home and makes round-shaped fruits that are sweet and have fewer seeds. Each fruit is relatively small, about 3-5 pounds, and has a yellowish-green skin that tastes mild and is liked by many.

You can eat Bettina papayas right after picking or use them in various recipes like fresh fruit salads, blended drinks, preserves, or jams. You can also dry them for later use. With the right care and environment, your Bettina papaya tree can stay healthy and produce fruits throughout the year.

9. Guinea Gold Papaya

The Guinea gold papaya is special and comes from Western Australia. It has big, pear-shaped fruits with a shiny golden yellow skin and very sweet flesh. These fruits can get over 2-3 pounds and take about 15-18 months to ripen. They’re perfect for salads, smoothies, or just to be eaten by themselves.

You can enjoy Guinea gold papayas as they are or freeze them for future use; they stay sweet even after they’re picked. These exotic fruits are a fantastic addition to any meal, whether in raw form or as a cooked ingredient. Even the flesh makes salads sweeter, and you can slice the skin to decorate desserts or other meals.

10. Oak Leaved Papaya

Coming from the Andes Mountains in Western South America, the Oak Leaved Papaya is small, oval, and about 3-4 inches long. It has sweet, orange flesh that includes seeds you can eat, so it’s good for many types of food.

It’s not common in big farms because of its size and many seeds, but it’s popular as a decorative plant because of its unique leaves. This papaya is tough and can handle dry, hot, and cold weather well. It’s a flavorful and pretty choice for a garden.

11. Waimanalo Papaya

The Waimanalo papaya is a type of Solo papaya, but bigger. It has a round shape with a short neck, weighs between 22 to 39 ounces, and is around 6 inches long. Its skin is shiny, and its flesh is thick and firm with a nice orange-yellow color. It’s known for having a high-quality, tasty flavor that lasts a long time.

This papaya will flower about six months after planting and typically gets about 32 inches tall. The seeds come in a mix of 66% hermaphrodite and 33% female, which might be useful to know if you’re thinking about planting them.

12. Red Lady Papaya

The Red Lady is a hybrid papaya that usually produces big fruits, each weighing between 3-5 pounds. It’s known for its vibrant orange-red interior and a taste that’s really sweet and juicy. The fruit is packed with vitamins like A and C, and it also has papain, an enzyme good for digesting proteins.

Papayas are great for eating fresh, and many people love growing them outside or in containers. They are well-liked in areas with warm climates, like the tropics and subtropics.

13. Samba Papaya

First offered in 2018, the Samba Papaya is a recent type with yellow-green spots on its skin and an oval shape. It’s juicy, with orange flesh that’s sweet, and is noted for having a little bit of fiber and a smooth feel. The trees give lots of fruit and are tough against diseases, which can help farmers make good money.

People are starting to like the Samba Papaya more and more because it tastes good and has a nice soft texture. Once it’s ripe, the skin is yellow-orange and smooth, while the inside is a dark orange and has a slight sweetness. This papaya is simple to grow, fights diseases well, and rewards farmers with lots of fruit, making it a very good choice for them.

14. Kamiya Papaya

The Kamiya Papaya is a special type created to stand up to a worldwide virus threat. Farmers and fruit lovers choose it because it’s very good at not catching this virus.

This papaya has a gentle, smooth, and super sweet taste thanks to its high sugar. Even better, it’s quick and simple to grow, so it’s perfect for farmers who need fast results. The Kamiya Papaya is a great option for anyone looking for a tasty and reliable fruit.

15. Hortus Gold Papaya

Hailing from South Africa, the Hortus Gold Papaya is bigger than the Guinea Gold papaya, and some can weigh as much as 4 pounds. Its yellow skin and insides are not only tasty but also packed with nutrients. Whether raw or in recipes, this large papaya brings extra sweetness and good health to your table.

Whether you want to blend it into a smoothie, slice it for a fruit plate, or use it in desserts, the Hortus Gold Papaya is a flexible fruit to have. It’s loaded with vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium, and fiber, making it a solid choice for boosting your body’s health.

16. Kapoho Papaya

The Kapoho Papaya, a variety with yellow flesh that’s sweet and juicy, is famous in Hawaii’s Puna district, known for its perfect weather and soil for growing papayas. This fruit is a hit with both people living there and visitors because you can eat it as it is or add it to different dishes like salads, smoothies, and desserts.

17. Tainung Papaya

Mixed from the Sunrise papaya, the Tainung Papaya is a kind that’s really popular thanks to its sweet and juicy taste. When it’s ripe, it usually weighs around 3-4 pounds. This type has an oblong shape with pinkish or light red inside. Its unique flavor makes it a favorite among fruit enthusiasts.

18. Caribbean Red Papaya

The Caribbean Red papaya has a taste and aroma that’s sweet, kind of like a melon. It’s also full of nutritious goodness. To help it ripen, just leave it out at room temperature. You’ll know it’s ready when it gets soft and half of it turns yellow. When it’s completely yellow, you should eat it in two days to get the best taste.

There are so many ways to enjoy the Caribbean Red papaya. Eat it on its own, put it in salads, blend it up for smoothies, or serve it with a creamy topping for a fancy treat. However you choose to have it, this tasty fruit is sure to delight.

19. Royal Star Papaya

The Royal Star Papaya is a relatively new type of papaya found in Texas and is related to the Mexican red papaya. It has a skin that is a deep orange color and flesh that’s sweet and juicy. This type of papaya adds a delicious and slightly tangy taste to any fruit salad or smoothie. 

Conclusion

Papayas come in lots of different types, and each kind has its own special flavor and feel. Some well-known kinds are the Solo Papaya, Red Lady Papaya, Tainung Papaya, Caribbean Red Papaya, Royal Star Papaya, Hortus Gold Papaya, and Kapoho Papaya. You might find that you like one type more than the others. Why not try out a few and pick your favorite? Any papaya you choose is bound to be a tasty and healthy snack.