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

[QUOTE=BronxFigs]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[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that

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. 

[QUOTE=Grasa]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.[/QUOTE]

Just 2 trees, they don't self pollinate. I've read a couple named vaieties are self-fertile though.

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!

Looks like one of you found my patch, or someone did thinking 2 legged as they only left the smalls, or maybe it was a bad year. This are pretty small to get over a spoonful, but the seeds can be grown for rootstock.

 

All right be sure to save all the seeds.  That was some good hunting.  Glad you scored.

I planted a couple of trees this year hope to see fruit from them!

I have a couple trees that are very small. I've yet to taste one. They have a paw paw festival in the fall in Athens, Ohio. I'm going to do my best to get down there this year. I know they sell trees, too.

I planted 3 trees this year as a hedge to replace some dead arbor vitaes.  I hope to have an edible paw paw hedge in a few years.

For those of you who are experienced with pawpaw, when do you usually first see the fruit in the tree?  I'd gladly buy some fruit if you have excess.  I'm not expecting it to arrive in great condition but I know where there are several unproductive thickets and I'd like to plant several seeds around each one.  I just found a new thicket that's a few hundred feet long and ~75 feet wide.  I didn't see a single fruit.  I'm sure it's too late for this year but I'd love to get several different varieties in there.   

BTW, here are some recipes I found while looking for other things.  The second recipe was a winner at one of the Ohio Pawpaw Festivals.

PAWPAW ICE CREAM

Leslie Mansfield writes in "The Lewis & Clark Cookbook: Historic Recipes from the Corps of Discovery & Jefferson's America": "Pawpaws have a flavor that can best be described as a creamy tropical custard. Hence their other name -- custard apple. A favorite of the men of the Corps during their travel through Ohio, pawpaws grow wild in about 25 other states east of the Mississippi River." (That includes Pennsylvania.) This was the ice cream served at the dinner honoring Mansfield at the Pines Tavern.

• 2 cups pawpaw puree, thawed if frozen
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar

Place the pawpaw puree in a bowl and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, stir together the cream, milk and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Slowly pour the cream mixture into the pawpaw puree, whisking to blend. Cover with plastic wrap and completely chill in the refrigerator. Pour the cold mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

PAWPAW CREAM CAKE

• 1 two-layer white cake mix, prepared according to package directions
• 2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup butter-flavored Crisco
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup pawpaw pulp
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 slightly beaten egg white (see note)
• Dash salt
• 1 recipe Belle's Diner Meringue (recipe follows)
• 2 large bags black walnut pieces (about 1 pound)

Belle's Diner Meringue:

• 5 egg whites
• 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

For meringue: Beat egg whites in electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add cornstarch and sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue on top of one baked cake layer. Bake in 350-degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven; cool.

Prepare frosting: Mix cream cheese, shortening, vanilla, pawpaw pulp, egg white, confectioners' sugar and salt. Whip well.

Place remaining layer of baked cake on plate.

Spread 1/3 of frosting on cake layer. Sprinkle 1/3 of black walnuts on top of frosting. Place meringue-topped layer on top of frosted layer. Spread rest of frosting on outside of cake, leaving meringue topping as is. Press walnuts into frosting.

Note: Because of the danger of salmonella in uncooked eggs, you can reduce risk for the very young, very old or those with weakened immune systems by using pasteurized egg whites.

Sharon Phillips, Little Hocking, Ohio

PAWPAW MUFFINS

This is an example of how to use pawpaw puree as a fat-reducer in a recipe.

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup 2-percent milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon soy oi
• 1/2 cup pawpaw puree

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix milk, egg whites, vanilla, soy oil and pawpaw puree.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and hand-mix for 17 strokes using a wooden spoon.

Lightly coat air-bake muffin tins with vegetable oil and scoop the batter into the pans.

Bake the muffins at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meleni W. Duffrin, Ohio University

PAWPAW PECAN PIE

This pie was made by Annette Chmiel, the mother of Ohio Pawpaw Festival organizer Chris Chmiel, whose wife, the former Michelle Gorman, grew up in Regent Square.

• 1 unbaked pie shell
• Bottom layer:
• 1 cup pawpaw puree
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

Beat egg with pawpaw puree. Add other ingredients. Spread into pie shell.

Top layer:

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pecan halves

Beat eggs until frothy. Add corn syrup, sugar and melted butter. Mix lightly. Stir in vanilla and pecan halves. Pour over pawpaw layer.

Bake in 350-degree oven for 50 minutes. Cool.

Wish there were a pawpaw patch by me...
Just planted an allegheny pawpaw this year, from my visit at EL. I live in allegheny county right down the street from the allegheny river so it was pretty simple to choose a variety.

any chance to grow these in pots?

They started ripening last week for me. They're late this year due to cooler summer. I usually ship some small orders of fruit.

Eli, They will grow in pots, but won't fruit well, they'll need a good fertile ground with good moisture through summer months otherwise they won't do well. You can grow them in ground in Israel with irrigation. 

I just picked about 30 lbs in the woods near the Susquehanna River.  Any one near Lancaster can really clean up as they seem to be loaded with fruit this year.  If you walk anywhere near the Conestoga to the Susquehanna, you will be sure to do well.  They are not quite ripe yet, but the fruit is pretty large.  Kelby, you should take a trip over here!

[QUOTE=bigbadbill]I just picked about 30 lbs in the woods near the Susquehanna River.  Any one near Lancaster can really clean up as they seem to be loaded with fruit this year.  If you walk anywhere near the Conestoga to the Susquehanna, you will be sure to do well.  They are not quite ripe yet, but the fruit is pretty large.  Kelby, you should take a trip over here![/QUOTE]

Give me a time and the wee one and I will be there!

Hi rcantor,
If it was me, I would try to propagate the patches that you know of - and see for myself in my garden as apparently you have access to trees for free ... Just my two cents ...

[QUOTE=jdsfrance]Hi rcantor,
If it was me, I would try to propagate the patches that you know of - and see for myself in my garden as apparently you have access to trees for free ... Just my two cents ...[/QUOTE]

PawPaws are notoriously hard to transplant due to deep taproots, especially in a clonal patch. Very few succeed with this.