There are three types of papaya plants: male, female, and hermaphrodite. The male never produces fruit; only pollen. If not pollinated, the female will produce tiny, inedible fruits. The hermaphrodite’s flowers have both male and female ovaries, allowing it to self-pollinate.

The papaya plant has a palm-like head of foliage at the top of an upright, branch less trunk that is 6–20 feet tall. The trunk never develops true bark and continues to be slightly succulent and soft-wooded. It has noticeable scars around the edges from previous leaf stalks and a sap of bitter milky latex.

The leaves are up to 24 inches broad, heavily lobed, and carried on 24 inch petioles. The five-petal blossoms have a waxy, aromatic, and meaty texture.

Female, male, and bisexual trees are the three different sorts of trees. Only female and bisexual plants are capable of bearing fruit. This fruit can be tiny to medium round or medium to large oblong in shape, depending on the species of tree. Fruit flesh is typically yellow, though some varieties are red and orange.