The link below covers pretty much everything I know about papayas. I had a bisexual plant in Venice, and it did make fruit, but possums like it. Also, the fruit was not that sweet, and I think the female plants make better fruit, so long as there is a male plant.

They can take a light frost but need heat and like hot summers. I had friends in south Texas who threw papaya seeds in their back yard and got plants, which did well as long as they did not have a drastic winter, which would happen about every ten years or so. No worry with that here, but it is a concern if you do not have enough heat.

They like soil that drains well and will experience root rot if over watered. Also, they do not transplant well. I have not had luck with them in Westchester, for one reason or another, and I do find them to be temperamental. They grow fast, and there is no reason why you should not try planting some seeds. I have seen mature trees in San Diego, but I don't know whether they made good fruit.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow papaya

That was an interesting read. I am considering growing a Papaya here in Riverside County. Plenty hot with well drained soil, but now I see I will need a male and female.

Might give it a whirl!

Suzi

Fascinating. It sounds like a hotter climate works better. I wonder if you could pot, and then just move them indoors on frosty days if you are farther out. In any case, I think I am going to skip out on this one as it sounds like coastal papaya doesn't taste great!

I never tried growing papayas here other than sprouting some seeds. I bring in fresh fruit every day just growing what does well here with little effort, so I don't push things with tropicals too much. My favorite variety is the Caribbean Red papaya, which may or may not do too well here. I will probably sprout some seeds this year again to see how they do.

Papaya Tree Nursery has been around awhile and sells varieties known to do well in our area.

Maridol makes for a huge plant in coastal soucal. Very palm like,attractive.
But soucalians have told me over and over..fruit isn't close to what comes from Mexico or Hawaii in flavor. If your hard core set on that..make a shelter for one to boost heat to 90f on any sunny day. Since papaya is a perennial...I could see cutting them back to 6-8',and getting fruit pickable while the tree is manageable.
FWIW..i tried outdoors in the SF eastbay unprotected in ground..and they got no more then 16" tall in a good warm summer from seeds. Then rotted out in December before we even had any frost. Cool rains did it in first.
I have seeds..try again as a clump in a large pot. Ornamental is all I expect.

I live in Fresno and I've had many papaya plants sprout from seeds I toss out and survive low 30/high 20s without any damage, only to succumb to root rot during a wet spring. I don't think the cold will be an issue for you there, but in my experience, cold rains do them in.