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Paw Paw Trees for Trade... and Two to Giveaway

CorneliusSchrute

A leuco by any other name would still be as glutto
When I am not composing rhyming and alliterative titles for my threads I grow pawpaw trees from seed. Not coincidentally, I received the seed from a member of this forum, actually. You can see the culprits in question with other young trees behind me in this picture.



I am interested in trading a few of these for Sarracenia... or maybe even the right Dionaea. Let me know what you have to offer.

I also want to give away two of these trees for the sake of reciprocity; I will even cover shipping costs. To win both trees simply be the first to guess my three year old's favorite television show. Hint: he is a boy, and I am a pacifist to the extreme.
 
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A craptacular night time shot of the saplings in question. They are roughly one year old and average around seven inches in height. <-- rough guesstimate
 
Neat to know, Paul. I knew they were endemic throughout the Middle West and into New England. I didn't realize they roamed down to your neighborhood.

I have never had the fruit, but intend to in "three to five years." I hear it is ungodly delicious.
 
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I've grown these from seed and they're one of the most fantastic and beautiful trees. Big, droopy, tropical-looking leaves, brilliant yellow fall color, cool flowers that smell very bell-peppery (not stinky like death). The bark is some of the strongest and most fibrous among native trees; I peeled some off and strapped a rock to a stick and made a workable hammer in a pinch.

You have to watch the fruit carefully--every form of wildlife wants it and will even get to it before it's ripe. I didn't find the texture or flavor that great. My honest opinion was that the flavor was like a bell pepper that someone dumped a bunch of sugar on. The texture is sort of like bananas mixed with mashed potatoes. Strange experience, but I hear there are multiple kinds of flesh. Hopefully I'll try again someday. The tree alone is totally garden-worthy!
 
I love the fruit! Living in Kentucky I'm exposed to these fairly regularly. The flavor kinda reminds me of something similar to an incredibly sweet banana custard. I know the uglier the fruit looks the better it will taste lol. I've actually taken seeds and planted them around the more soldier edges of my parents property, I'll have to see if any of them come up this spring.
 
I hear that fruit quality varies widely from plant to plant, ranging from bland to incredible.
 
  • #10
More around Nacogdoches and the pine belt, where the soil is more acidic, I have not seem them down south my way. But if you dug the soil deep enough avoided or got rid of calachie and replaced it or treated it it might could work.
 
  • #11
I would LOVE a Paw Paw Tree! I tried the fruit once and it's a true delicacy!
However, I don't think they do well in zone 8b, I don't think they do well as indoor plants and finally, I don't have any Sarracenia or Dionaea to trade. :(
 
  • #12
After reading more on these trees, they sound like the almost perfect
candidate to perhaps plant in the corner of my yard with nothing .
I love fruit trees and think that edible fruiting plants are pretty awesome.
How vigorous do these grow?

I would LOVE a Paw Paw Tree! I tried the fruit once and it's a true delicacy!
However, I don't think they do well in zone 8b, I don't think they do well as indoor plants and finally, I don't have any Sarracenia or Dionaea to trade. :(

How would you describe the flavor?
 
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  • #14
Their growth rate seems to be somewhere between a red bud and a maple for me, though keep in mind I have only had them for a year and this batch is my first go. There is a good chance they will slow down this year having germinated last.

The most notable aspect of their early culture in my opinion is the need of shady conditions until they reach adequate size. Most sources recommend growing them out in the shade of larger trees until they reach around three years of age; I grow mine along the north side of my house with no direct sun save a touch in the early morning. The sixteen or so trees that I started with in a community planting thrived and leafed heavily last year with Osmocote pellets in the media. They will tolerate full sun later on from what I have read, and I plan on making that happen next year. The trees I keep will see mostly shaded conditions again this season.

From what I have read, fruit can be expected around year five or so.
 
  • #15
How would you describe the flavor?

They are a custard like fruit and the taste is similar to Sugar-apple (Annona squamosal).
If you've never had a Sugar-apple, the next best thing I could describe it's flavor to be like, would be banana, but it does not really taste like that. It's a unique flavor all in it's own!
 
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