This isn't from one of the couple Local patches I know, but the 1st from one of my grafted trees here at this place. This one is Sunflower, I have about 5 other cultivars which will be plenty when they all get a few years in.

 
 

Please send me 2-3 of these. I will pay shipping . We are trying to decide if it's worth the effort to grow these little gems in our yard.

Color me jealous! My seedling trees might fruit next year if I'm lucky...

If you ever have seed available I'd love to try starting some.

Shailesh - Pawpaw is native to our area, though I have yet to find any around me. Perfectly hardy for us.

They are hardy. I think most places list them to Zone 5.  They taste like a little banana little mango little I can't place. They don't ship well and go bad quick. Don't ever eat a overripe one I did once and you will regret it. They have a overpowering scent almost sickening sweet, and over ripe tends to make me nauseous. I don't think I would ever ship these as they are fragile, and besides this is my only fruit this year on young grafted trees. If I make up to the couple patches I know and if they have fruit this year I might have seeds, But I would suggest a grafted plant, or at least seed or seedling from a select plant. Most the wild ones around here smaller and seedier, but still tasty. If you really want to have some shipped a couple places try but I have heard mixed results on what folks received. "Integration Acres" is one place that tries to ship.

Best to grow your own or find a local source. Should you grow them? Absolutely!!! Taste is amazing

I tasted a Paw Paw for the first time, last year.  If I had the land, besides figs, Paw Paws are the only other fruit trees that I would bother to grow.  The exotic flavor of the creamy pulp was a combination of banana, mango, and pineapple.


Frank

The best way to find them native is to creek walk as Pawpaw Frequently found along the banks. I just put on some old shoes and wade down the creek. My kids used to love creek walks just about the best thing to do on a 90+ Aug day

Pawpaws are supposed to be native here but I have yet to see one. Maybe I need to be more observant. In a creek walk are they more in the open or wooded areas? At the top of creek banks, alongside, or down in the creek? Do ditches count or natural creeks? Looks awesome! Thanks!

Scott,

You should have them another name for them is Hoosierbanana.  They are usually a understory tree, but produce better with good sunlight. They are supposed to suffer in sun and need some shade for 1st few years, but I have not tested a seedling in sun.  They like woodland edges as well. I look for them right along the bank, sometimes overhanging the water. but that's just my experience, but Neil Petersen named some of his cultivars by river names so I think the connection of along waterways is not just me.

Phil,

I never ever knew they even existed until a few years ago. I hear they are all over lower part of Michigan. But never seen one, at least I did not recognize it if I was by one.

I will pay close attention. I Know of a few fishing places and I'll put my waders on and search, if they still fit.

Thanks for starting this thread.

What an interesting native fruit and yet never seen them in the markets. 
Is it difficult to start them from seeds?

Nice looking pawpaw Strudeldog. I have a number of the named varieties, but so far all of the flowers have dropped. They are quite tall and full, so maybe next year. Do you notice any bitterness or aftertaste with Sunflower? I have tried pawpaws at Edible Landscaping and they tasted better than the wild ones, with no noticeable bitterness. I like the wild ones I find here, but like you mentioned, eat them when they are just ripe so they are tasty. My first experience many years ago I allowed them to overripen and the smell and taste made me never want to try them again. I'm glad I did though, properly ripened, they are a treat. I especially like them cold.

I find pawpaws in open woodland near creeks and rivers where the soil is moist and rich. In the wild, they tend to be tall, thin trees with big oblong leaves. Sometimes you will find many trees and no fruit. They can sucker, and it's possible the groups of trees are the same plant. They need cross pollination, but even in areas with many groups of plants, some just don't fruit or do so lightly. Some plants will have large clusters of fruit and the ground with be covered. They are ripe when they drop easily from the tree. I usually look up into the canopy and give the trees a shake. They bruise easily, and this seems to increase bitterness. Most bitterness is near the skin. Selected varieties have been selected for size, flavor, high flesh to seed ratio, and lack of bad aftertaste.

Mike in Hanover, VA

Rafed,

Don't bother with waders the water is fine:) Actually you folks in midwest have an advantage I believe as it seems the native ones there are superior and believe most named cultivars came from that gene pool. Same for our native Persimmon. The 90 Chromosome northern type seem superior to the 60  Chromosome southern persimmon.

Pino,
They not hard to start from seed which resembles a kidney bean, but they need stratified ( cold treatment) and kept moist. I will put them into a ziplock with just damp peat moss or sand now and take them out in spring. They will take forever to show growth above ground so don't discard them and give up, and start them in a deeper pot like group planted in a 3 gal or so because the send a deep taproot prior to showing above ground. I started a few seed out of my fridge in early spring, and few are just starting to show above ground now, so be patient on germination.

Mike,

Sunflower tasted good and pretty much like my locals but larger and less seed, it's a yellow golden type. The lighter fleshed ones I don't believe are as good. I didn't notice an aftertaste and on very few have I ever, so maybe I am not sensitive to that, but I know a lot of folks mention that aftertaste. I have only tried this named cultivar of my own trees, but I have 3 of Petersen's selections and and few other's that I am looking forward to. I have tasted a few from other folks and thought them all superior to my native ones local in size at least. I think alot of those pawpaw patches are actually just a single plant connected with one root system and that's why is hard to find a productive patch. That and the normal pollinators don't visit them much. I have not tried road kill hanging in the tree as some have to attract the flies that assist in pollination, but I did pollen dabble with a paint brush. I had flowers on I think 3 cultivar, but only the one fruit held. Sunflower is stated to be somewhat self fertile, but I will never know as I will have others about.

Hey this looks like fun!  Friend of mine just found a stand of wild ones near Mooresville so I think this week I will finally get to taste one.
Can't wait to have land to plant on again!!

don't you need a boy and a girl tree? I have a seedling not growing as I wanted, but it is doing it growth. I have never tasted this fruit, but am looking forward to  try it someday.

Paw Paw is incredibly good.  You have to pick it before it's soft and let it soften off the tree otherwise it ripens unevenly and you get the off flavors.  It needs UV protection for the 1st 2 years which is usually why you find them in the shade of other trees, but like most fruit trees once it's older the more sun the more fruit.

That looks great. They grow wild out here on the property I need to go look and see how close they are to being ready. 

Actually Pawpaws are very open minded in their sexual orientation , but they still have a few morals.  "The flowers are both male and female protogynous, meaning that the stigma (the female receptive organ) ripens before the pollen, and is no longer receptive when the pollen is shed. Thus the flower is designed not to be self-pollinated." Part of that is quoted right from the Kentucky State site. There is much good info there. below is that main link

http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/default.htm

The time to look for them is in the fall. When those big leaves turn yellow they stand out. This time of year they are a lot harder to spot. I have some wild ones down by the creek. They usually don't start getting ripe till the first week of Sept. It's been a cool summer so I'll have to go check. Don't get much fruit from them, some years none at all. It may be because it's a scramble to get down to them so I don't go often... and there are lots of critters down there to compete for them.

Scott,

Let me know if you spot any. I'll meet up with you.

Rafed,

There is a place that I know of half way between us that has a wild stand of them growing. 1st week in September is usually a good time. For the last two years though late frosts have significantly decreased fruit set.

Let's set it up, Dan.

Sounds good, Rafed! My parents have a lake place near Angola Indiana which is closer to Detroit than Fort Wayne. It is a series of lakes connected by long channels miles and miles long and also has streams running in.My bro and I will take a kayak through them next weekend weather permitting to see if we spot any. Will take pictures and mark them out on a map to share if I find any. Thanks!