Papaya tree model

Just in case there was any confusion, I like to make plants. I especially like to make plant models of trees and bushes that are modeled off of real species or even individual trees that I have seen. While going through my species folders of trees I want to make I picked a papaya tree. Papaya is a small plant that is not actually a true hardwood tree but has a pulpy trunk sort of like a palm trees trunk. It grows up to about 30 ft tall but only lives 5 or 6 years, producing lots of fruit quite frequently. It is originally from the southern countries with most of the species are found in South America but also at least one in Africa. Because of it's fruit bearing quality it is now found throughout the tropics and can be now found as a wild plant all over the forests of the world. The plant has a central trunk with no branches but each leaf grows from a very long stem out from the trunk, so each "branch" has only one leaf

One thing I like about papaya is the leaf is very large, sometimes approaching 3 ft long which is easy for me to make in scale. The thing I hate the most about the leaf is it has 7 serrated lobes that are really hard to reproduce for the model. I found a really good substitute for the leaf in a pet store and I used a rubber mold maker to make about 20 leaves, made the trunk and stems and painted the whole thing. After I attached the fruit I put it on the model and took a photo for everyone. Here you go...
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Lovely papaya tree model! Very well done, congratulations! And looks so good in Your miniature jungle

Interesting choice for a tree! ...and nice work!!! I love papaya fruit! :)

Very fine Phil Coul dyou share bigger pics of the papaya tree alone ?

I love it! You are so clever Phil, I love the picture it looks so real

What a great model, Phil
The detail, ballance, it is really, really beautyful !

And thankyou for sharing all the info about the papaya-plant, I did not know that before.

I only know papayafruit canned, it must be much better if one can get fresh ones

Great job Phil!
You are going to be the very best in a short time, as you seem to make only plants the last months...

That´s so amazing! I love your trees, they all are very well done :)

Looks amazing Phil. Great tree.

Kikimalou wrote:

Very fine Phil Coul dyou share bigger pics of the papaya tree alone ?

This is the second one I have made, I like it better, the branches are finer and the color of the leaves is nicer, all it took was some practice.

Here you go Kiki
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Wow. It is gorgeous Phil. Great job.

Phill, your beautiful new tree.
Good job, you have a real green thumb,
Your beautiful virgin forest