Who Else Grows Pawpaw Trees?

ohiobruce

ohiobruce

Well-known member
My dad gave me my first taste of pawpaw about 50 years ago. He picked it from a wild patch that he spotted on the side of the road. It was horrible, so I crossed it off my list of edible fruit.

Then 5 years ago my BIL gave me a couple from his patch. They were awesome. I planted those seeds. Then I ordered a few cultivars and planted them about 4 years ago.

I now have several 6' tall trees with flower buds. My fingers are crossed for next year.

What's your pawpaw story?
 
Opiem10 said:
I had to pull my three plum trees earlier this summer after they were so badly infected with black knot fungus.

When I read that deer do not like to chew on paw paw leaves, I ordered Jerry’s Big Girl and KSU-Chappel from a local grower. I’ll pick them up and plant them in the spring.
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Be sure to provide some shade for the first two years.
 
I’m clearing land and found a pawpaw patch. Sadly no fruit so I have planted some additional wild pawpaws nearby to help pollinate. I also went to a pawpaw festival this year and bought Susquehanna and Potomac varieties to plant. The fruit at the festival tastes better than some wild ones i purchased to try.
 
I planted five trees 2 years ago, and three survived. Two of the three that survived were 2-yr old seedlings of known varieties (but not technically true to type because they haven't been grafted yet). I have Overleese, Mango and an unknown that I picked up at the Staten Island Fig fest. My favorite variety is Rappananock, but that one didn't survive. The Overleese and Mango trees are about 3-4 ft high now but no flowers yet. I like pawpaws best when turned into ice cream.

I belong to Backyard Fruit Growers (based out of Lancaster, PA). Ted Weeden opens up his pawpaw orchard for tours to BYFG members every fall. He lets you taste all his varieties, and we got to take some home too. I didn't go this year, but I posted about last year's tasting here: https://figfanatic.com/threads/byfg-pawpaw-tasting-and-tour.161/
 
9ah-figlet said:
I planted five trees 2 years ago, and three survived. Two of the three that survived were 2-yr old seedlings of known varieties (but not technically true to type because they haven't been grafted yet). I have Overleese, Mango and an unknown that I picked up at the Staten Island Fig fest. My favorite variety is Rappananock, but that one didn't survive. The Overleese and Mango trees are about 3-4 ft high now but no flowers yet. I like pawpaws best when turned into ice cream.

I belong to Backyard Fruit Growers (based out of Lancaster, PA). Ted Weeden opens up his pawpaw orchard for tours to BYFG members every fall. He lets you taste all his varieties, and we got to take some home too. I didn't go this year, but I posted about last year's tasting here: https://figfanatic.com/threads/byfg-pawpaw-tasting-and-tour.161/
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nice ive tried mango, potomac, prolific, pa golden #1, sunflower, susquehanah, wabash, and allegehny myself. Figured out im more of the banana end fan and my wife likes the more mango flavor. ended up with these but might one day graft over atwood since some people have issues with ripening unevenly. Not sure what id graft over, maybe Pomper's Choice, ksu's new release.
 
9ah-figlet said:
I planted five trees 2 years ago, and three survived. Two of the three that survived were 2-yr old seedlings of known varieties (but not technically true to type because they haven't been grafted yet). I have Overleese, Mango and an unknown that I picked up at the Staten Island Fig fest. My favorite variety is Rappananock, but that one didn't survive. The Overleese and Mango trees are about 3-4 ft high now but no flowers yet. I like pawpaws best when turned into ice cream.

I belong to Backyard Fruit Growers (based out of Lancaster, PA). Ted Weeden opens up his pawpaw orchard for tours to BYFG members every fall. He lets you taste all his varieties, and we got to take some home too. I didn't go this year, but I posted about last year's tasting here: https://figfanatic.com/threads/byfg-pawpaw-tasting-and-tour.161/
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At the festival this year the pawpaw ice cream is what my wife preferred too. Me and my oldest daughter like the pawpaw bread the best. Wish I had some now with my coffee.
 
I read about pawpaw fruit for years before ever trying 1. When moving south to NC I immediately planted some. Luckily I found some before my trees ever gave fruit. Ive found they begin w vanilla when underripe and go more mealy, gritty with banana flavor as it softens & blackens. My family hates them lol. I'll be using the pulp I've harvested to make a cider this year.
 
I tasted paw paws for 1st and 2nd time the past two weeks. 1st batch has a butterscotch flavor - possibly over ripe. 2nd batch was much better - banana cream. Now debating whether or not growing paw paws are worth the challenge, when cherimoyas and atemoyas grow so well here (space limitations).
 
Uncle Jessup said:
I read about pawpaw fruit for years before ever trying 1. When moving south to NC I immediately planted some. Luckily I found some before my trees ever gave fruit. Ive found they begin w vanilla when underripe and go more mealy, gritty with banana flavor as it softens & blackens. My family hates them lol. I'll be using the pulp I've harvested to make a cider this year.
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theres a pretty wide variety of flavor, some i really hate (sunflower) some i love (potomac, wabash, susquehannah)
 
snarfing said:
theres a pretty wide variety of flavor, some i really hate (sunflower) some i love (potomac, wabash, susquehannah)
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How strange some are such a lesser quality. My Rappahannock is only named cultivar and it is leaps n bounds better than other much bigger no-name random types i grow. Rappahannock has bigger fruit with less seeds and better flavor than trees twice its size! What a difference KSU & Neal Peterson have made in pawpaws!!
 
Uncle Jessup said:
How strange some are such a lesser quality. My Rappahannock is only named cultivar and it is leaps n bounds better than other much bigger no-name random types i grow. Rappahannock has bigger fruit with less seeds and better flavor than trees twice its size! What a difference KSU & Neal Peterson have made in pawpaws!!
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i think it might be also to a degree personal preference. as i said i preferred one flavor profile, my wife preferred another. but i think most dont like the aftertaste some varieties have
 
snarfing said:
i think it might be also to a degree personal preference. as i said i preferred one flavor profile, my wife preferred another. but i think most dont like the aftertaste some varieties have
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I feel like the level of ripeness might be more of an influencing taste factor than even cultivar. They're all more vanilla early and banana later and all the delicious nuances in-between those 2 extremes. Cultivar matters, but ripeness level makes a HUGE difference in that vanilla ------ banana spectrum and all the flavors in those dashes
 
I do know the wild ones I bought online were picked early for shipping. Probably why they had this awful after taste. The ones at the festival were all cultivars off of their trees and I’m sure were picked at the optimal time. Also, the wild were absolutely loaded with seeds!
 
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