Male and Female Paw Paws (forum)

Bill18 starts with ...
Hi,
We have a number of Paw Paws in our garden and have had some success in past years with good crops and another good crop on the way (see photo) Among our plantings we have retained a couple of male plants for pollination purposes. The Newest of these did its male thing last year and produced flowers only. However this year it has produced flowers and the growths as seen in the other photo. I am intrigued to know what is happening here. A couple of unhelpful friends have suggested that it is an adolescent now so has grown testes, while another said it might be &quote;coming out&quote; in response the same sex marriage survey.
Its not a great issue but i am just keen to understand what is happening, is this normal with Paw Paws? As an aside our older male plant has also produced one of these growths this year but it is in the shape of a question mark and needless to say that has prompted a few wisecracks as well (see attached Photo)
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3

Time: 16th March 2018 11:58am

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Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi Bill

Oftentimes male papayas bear flowers only but occasionally they produce hermaphrodite flowers hence the resulting fruit at the end of the long stalk. This seems to happen during unusual weather conditions like a heat wave for example.

Some growers intentionally subject their male papayas to stress to force the plant to change gender by driving a wooden or iron stake through the middle of the lower trunk or lopping off the top part and even carving off some flesh from the trunk. You are one of the lucky ones because nature has done the work for you. As for the abnormal fruit shape they are just like us sometimes a few people are born with genetic abnormalities, We can't expect all of us to be perfect, same with your pawpaws

Happy Gardening :-)

Time: 17th March 2018 6:16am

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Original Post was last edited: 17th March 2018 6:30am

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Bill18 says...
Thanks Fruitylicious1,
Interesting, and no doubt correct because anything that survives in my garden will undoubtedly be subjected to stress from time to time.

Thanks for your response.

Time: 17th March 2018 6:03pm

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About the Author Bill18
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Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi Bill

Can you please report back the difference in taste (when fully ripe) between your straight (female) pawpaw and the confused one (male turned hermaphrodite ATM). No pun intended thanks.

As Always....Happy Gardening :-)

Time: 18th March 2018 7:33pm

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Original Post was last edited: 18th March 2018 7:33pm

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Mike Tr says...
Male paw paws like in pic 3 taste poor and are seedless,females are good and hermies are best. Hemies are usually elongated and females round to football shaped with less flesh pigment. They do not change sex and if on long stalks the tree is a male.

Time: 20th March 2018 5:17pm

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Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi Mike

Thanks for the comment in taste difference mate much appreciated.

Haply Gardening :-)

Time: 21st March 2018 1:20pm

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