Source tree from David R. (AZRFG), March 2017
This papaya is *the* winner as far as I am concerned. During the summer, all papayas grow fast. Summer is not the test of a papaya, winter is. I decided to run an experiment and I grew several papayas along a western block wall in my yard, so that they would get a little winter protection. But they were not covered up or protected in any other way. I lost several papayas from cold damage (Hawaiian Solo, Red Lady, Dwarf Vietnamese Red), but not only did Tainung #2 not show any cold damage whatsoever (winter low 2017/18 was 29 F) but it still held fruit!!! And the fruit is wonderful. Monty Palmer brought some to an AZRFG meeting and they were very aromatic salmon-fleshed papayas. No hint of the 'vomit' flavor that I find objectionable in most store-bought papayas. The ones from my tree are just as delicious!
Papaya flower, summer 2017
Tainung #2 after winter (no damage) still holding fruit
Small but ripe, fruit survived winter 2017-18
No seeds, as expected. Very tasty!
