Paw Paws

[SubRosa]

This is my favorite time of the year, because for the next couple weeks it's paw paw time. Paw paw is the northern most member of the family Annonaceae, the soursop family. It has a very tropical flavor, like a cross between mango and banana, sometimes with a hint of vanilla, sometimes with citrus notes. Flavor can vary pretty widely from tree to tree. It's also the largest fruit native to North America. Unless you know where they grow you're not likely to find them, as they're only in season for about a month, don't ripen off the tree, and go from perfect to black mush in a couple days. But when they're right, oh boy!

 

[herenorthere]

Pawpaws are a great thing to mention because some people on TF might have pawpaws in their midst without realizing it.

I grew up in pawpaw territory and planted some here in Connecticut starting ~30 years ago. The fruit can be an acquired taste in part because of that banana flavor tending towards very-ripe banana flavor, which some people don't like in a banana, and the ripe fruit is squishy, like a soft custard.

My wife likes the fruit more than I do, but I eat some when we have them and I do like the look of the trees - very tropical. My trees seem to be much more productive than wild trees, in part because some are named varieties known to be more productive but also because they aren't as shaded as wild pawpaws tend to be. We also have a persimmon tree, another tree beyond its usual range, and I love persimmons.

 

[SubRosa]

I started planting trees a couple years ago, and although one of my grafted trees flowers it's too small to support fruit. But as soon as one of my larger, seed grown trees flowers, I'll hand pollinate. Hopefully next year...

 

[DragonsEye]

Yo Sub! Long time no see!

I’ve always wanted to try one …. But like you said, it’s not something you typically find in stores or farmers markets.

 

[herenorthere]

You can find paw paws in farmers' markets in some places. Some of my trees are from England's Nursery in KY and, when I visited there several years ago, the owner told me he sells the fruit at a nearby farmers' market (in Berea, I think). More importantly, he said an increasing number of people are growing or collecting paw paws for sale that way. Many of them probably buy trees or scionwood from him. That might not help you find paw paws if you're in Phoenix or Fairbanks, but a sizable percent of the US population might not be all that far from a potential grower/seller.

 

[hcarlton]

I have 3 seedlings that have been slowly germinating all summer, and finally starting to show leaves...been a species I've wanted to grow for a long time.

 

[SubRosa]

I have 3 seedlings that have been slowly germinating all summer, and finally starting to show leaves...been a species I've wanted to grow for a long time.

If you're starting with seedlings you're looking at 8-10 years before they bear fruit.

 

[herenorthere]

I can send scionwood of named varieties if you want to try grafting, which is reasonably easy for pawpaws. Your seedlings probably are too small to do it during the coming dormant season but they should be ready the year after. That can speed up the maturing process.

 

[hcarlton]

Seeds were cheap and easy to get ahold of (especially in a seed exchange), and part of the fun is growing up the plants to enjoy later. I've got a lot of various fruit trees that will produce in the interim if they keep growing at their current rates, so I can be patient with lots of other flavors to try.