Is this a papaya?

Yes, that is a papaya tree! More specifically, it appears to be a male papaya tree.

Here is how you can tell:

• The Flowers: Male papaya trees produce small, white, tubular flowers that grow in clusters on long, hanging stalks (panicles), exactly like what you see here.
• Fruit Production: Because this is a male tree, its primary role is pollination. It will generally not produce fruit, and if it does, the fruit will be very small and inedible.

In contrast, female and hermaphrodite papaya trees have larger flowers that grow much closer to the main trunk, right in the leaf axils, and those are the ones that develop into the large papayas we eat.