To all you crazy pawpaw people on here.. Is anyone growing them up north? Maybe something similar to growing figs in containers and bringing them inside for the winter? I'm assuming they go dormant?

Also, should I grow them from seed, cutting, or cutting grafted onto rootstock!

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks everyone.
-Ross

are you talking about Papaya (Carica Papaya) or Pawpaw (Asiminia Triloba)?

Ahh. My mistake. I was referring to Pawpaw. I'm seeing them being labeled by nurseries as low as zone 6. Anyone have any first hand experience growing them in zone 6 or 7?

Edited my OP to avoid confusion.

Yes, I'm an hour north of you. I have several trees in ground. They're native trees to the area.

Here's an article I wrote a few years ago about pawpaw.
http://www.treesofjoy.com/content/pawpaw-delicious-wild-fruit

I have them growing in ground in zone 5 Maine.  They've gone through -17F multiple times without damage here.  I've heard of pawpaw trees that have taken -39F and survived with only minor damage.  The problem with pawpaws up North is making sure you have varieties that can ripen early enough for your area.  CN-1 was bred in Canada and is early.  Summer Delight is another early ripening cultivar.  Many others also seem to have relatively early ripening fruit as well.  So far mine haven't yet hit flowering size, so I'm anxiously waiting.  I've eaten them in a garden in Massachusetts and they were great.

People don't have luck with rooting cuttings and mixed to poor luck with air layers so they are either grown from seeds or via grafting.  It would be great to get them on their own roots as they sucker over time off the roots to form colonies. 

I am growing them here in PNW. The person I bought the plants from grow them in large garbage bins and he 
hand pollinates them. This seller has 3 Peterson's varieties. There is an Italian senior in my area and he has pawpaw
trees in his yard for over 8 years. He sells ripe pawpaws in Oct.

GregMartin - I think you are referring to NC-1. I bought it for their earliness.

Hi,
Here in Zone7, there is one(1,2 or 3) pawpaw growing in ground in a botanical garden.
Now, the question is: are you sure that you want/need pawpaws ?
They tend to be big tree (will shade the yard), and not really productive. Most people report pollination problems.
The choice is yours of course ... Ever heard about persimmons (kaki) ? Last year, I planted a fuyu ... For their exotic look ...

Thank you for the correction Paully, that's what I get for writing off the cuff and not double checking!  'NC-1' it is.  If anyone run's across the variety 'Campbell's #1' that is another name for 'NC-1'

I was lucky enough to receive some seeds from Bill! And thanks for the info everyone. Surprisingly enough.. Lancaster, PA which about an hour from me is pawpaw capital, haha, so I'll be checking out some wild pawpaw this fall.

Ross I have 2 pawpaw that I just planted in late summer this past season, bought them both from Bass. He always seems to have a nice selection of the named cultivars so you may want to check him out this spring since you don't live too far away from him either. Remember if you are growing seedlings you'll need to have at least 2 or 3 to get fruit. The named cultivars are suppose to fruit much earlier also (2-3 yrs) whereas the seedlings can take 6 to 7 years. I've been staring at the huge mound of snow sitting on top of my paw paws that's so high I can't even see them at all so I hope they are okay!

Jamie,

Bill gave them to me for no charge, so why not, right? And I'm only 24... I've got 6-7 years, haha.

Snow is actually an insulator! They should be fine!

-Ross

Ross you make way too much sense for a 24 year old! Lol great point! You can't beat free and you've definitely got plenty of time to wait for the seedlings to fruit :)

Ross, they grow here in canada in zone 5.

I have 4 pawpaws in my yard. They are not common in Eastern North Carolina. They require two different varieties if you want fruit. There is a caterpillar that is specific to pawpaws and some people grow them for the Eastern Swallowtail Butterflies. I don't, but I don't spray them either. If the tree is big, not problem, otherwise, pick them off like tomato worms and relocate them. 

I'll have several grafted Pawpaw varieties if you're interested in the Spring. 

ROSS PAW PAWS should do fine planted out doors in your area . I should plant some in my orchard DOH   I did plant hardy Almonds this yr .. last yr it got down to -19f on night.

I live in zone 5b .  Paw Paws grow wild here along the rivers and in the forests .
Many people in my town have grafted cultivators planted in there yard for there attractive foliage and fruit.


Yes we have hardwood and pine forests  in Nebraska and the only place its flat is in a river Valleys. 

I am Puzzled when people describe Nebraska  as Flat and treeless ??? .

 But I Image if you drive I-80 in the Platte Valley and stare at the pavement strait ahead  and don't turn your head to the left or the right... you would miss the forests of cotton woods and oaks along the Platte River and the 600' to 900'  tall bluffs along the river valleys edge A lot of the  .....300 or 400 miles across the state.  ha




paw paws are pollinated buy flies not bees . you can hand pollinate or the old timers around here hang a little bit of rotting meat in the tree
but I would be worried about critters . ha

The beautiful Blue Swallow Tail Butterfly  lays its eggs on the paw paw tree .




...

I'm in zone 4 Wisconsin, been growing pawpaws from seed for years.  The trees in my planting have seen almost -30F without damage tho the flower bud didn't make it that year....

Hi Beyondista,
Can you tell us a little more what you have experienced in the winter months and how old are our trees. Do you think my friend can grow pawpaw where he lives at which is in Duluth, MN. I have sent him seeds this fall.
Thank you
Lou

And another question for you Beyondista...are the seeds from your area/zone and have you gotten ripe fruit at your place in zone 4 yet?
Thank you
Greg

I've got four pawpaws growing happily on my property near the north shore of Lake Ontario.  The only real winter damage they've gotten was when the fence fell on one of them and broke it at knee height.  Ugh.  But that one is currently pushing out a new leader and lots of leaves.

Some are in full sun and some have noon shade from our big old black walnut.  All seem happy.  (I understand they don't give a fig - pun intended - about juglone and are a great companion plant for black walnuts.)

If you're buying, I'd go potted over bare-root, hands down.  The first two pawpaws I bought were bare-root and they struggled all year and then died the next spring. 

The second pair I bought were bare root and they struggled the first year.  One took off in the second year (only to be crushed by the fence) while the other died back, but has since sprouted like nobody's business from the roots.  They're the native Ontario variety - there are wild pawpaw patches in the Toronto area and southward, but they're exceedingly hard to find as most of their native range has been bulldozed - and I'm assured that they'll a) taste great, and b) grow like stink once they're settled in.

The ones I bought potted, meanwhile, have flourished.  I know I'm pushing the Peterson Susquehanna variety here (if I'm right, they'll ripen for me just before early frost risk, around Canadian Thanksgiving), but it's the best grower out of them all (though it leafs out a bit later).  It's taken -20C without any damage.  No flowers yet.  The other one I bought potted is an NC-1, and though it grows a bit more slowly than the Susquehanna, it's the only one yet flowering - at about 3 years of age!  It pushes out leaves first out of all of mine, with the native ones a few days behind, and the Susquehanna a few days behind that.

Asimina triloba, I am interested in the native pawpaws you are talking about. I recently read the new book on pawpaws and the author mentions that the trees you are talking about were probably selected and planted by Native Americans. They would have been selected for early ripening and flavor. Jerry Lehman, here in Indiana has been doing some work with pawpaw and has shown that they improve with each generation, so your native trees should be really good. Much better than random wild colonies. If you get some seeds from your native Ontario's I would love to buy a few seeds from you. I have been growing pawpaw from seed for a few years and really enjoy it. I expect to get some fruit from them in the next couple of years, and I  would love to add some native Ontario pawpaws to my collection.