Papaya tree in Pangasinan goes viral after bearing banana-like fruit; expert explains unusual growth

A papaya tree in Alaminos City, Pangasinan caught the attention of netizens after it produced fruits that closely resemble bananas.

According to Kuya Kim’s report in “24 Oras” on Friday, the unusual plant belongs to resident Adelberto Pereza, who said the papaya tree sprouted after he threw papaya seeds into the family's banana plantation in their backyard last year.

“Tumubo po silang lahat. May tumubong limang papaya sa sagingan pero yung isa lang yung kakaiba. Doon po siya mismo tumubo sa namatay po naming saging,” he said.

When the tree started bearing fruit, Adelberto was surprised to see elongated fruits that looked more like bananas than papayas, so he called the fruit “papaging.”

“Mayroon din pong mga comment po na dahil daw po sa cross-pollination aya daw po naging ganon. Inaabangan po din po kung ano pong magiging itsura niya paglaki kung magiging saging po ba talaga siya or papaya po,” he said.

But is it really possible for a papaya tree to bear a banana fruit?

Per Kuya Kim, when two closely related plant species grow near each other, their pollen may combine to produce a new plant variety through a process known as cross-pollination or cross-breeding.

“Halimbawa rito, ang tangelo, pinaghalong tangerine at pomelo, at fluot na pinaghalo namang plum at apricot,” he explained.

Kuya Kim also pointed to grafting as another method of combining plants, wherein the branch of one tree is attached to another closely related tree.

However, he emphasized that grafting does not create hybrid fruits.

For example, a grafted citrus tree can produce oranges on one branch and lemons on another, with each fruit retaining its original characteristics.

In the case of the viral "papaging" or banana-shaped papaya, he explained said it is not the result of cross-breeding or grafting but rather an unusual growth pattern that caused the papaya fruit to develop in an elongated, banana-like shape.

Lilian Jennifer Rodriguez, a professor at the University of the Philippines Dilinan Institute of Biology, explained that it is scientifically impossible for a papaya and a banana to produce a hybrid fruit because they belong to different plant species.

“Hindi po pwede magbunga ng papaya ang isang saging kasi magkaibang species po sila ng halaman. So maaari po na yung pollen ng saging ay napunta dun sa papaya,” she said.

While banana pollen may have been carried by the wind and landed on the papaya tree, she said it could not have pollinated the plant or caused the unusual fruit to develop.

“So yan po ay pwedeng nangyari kasi pwede po nadala siya ng hangin. Pero dahil magkaiba po sila ng species, hindi po iyon ang nakapollinate sa papaya. Hindi po maaari na naging hybrid. Ang tingin ko po ay papaya po siya pero fluid po ang kanilang sexuality,” she added. —Jade Veronique Yap/JCB, GMA News