Pawpaw – California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. (2024)

Pawpaw – California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. (1)

Asimina triloba

Annonaceae

Common Name:Pawpaw, Paw Paw, Papaw, Poor Man’s Banana, Hoosier Banana, etc. (In Australiathe tropical papaya,Carica papaya, is also known as Pawpaw).

Related species:Asimina incarna,A. longifolia,A. obovata,A. parviflora,A. pygmaea,A. reticulata,A. tetramera,A.Xnashii.These eightAsiminaspecies grow in the southeastern United States.

Distant Affinity:Cherimoya(Annona cherimola), Soursop (Annona muricata), Custard Apple (Annona reticulata), Sugar Apple, Sweetsop (Annona squamosa), Atemoya (Annona squamosaXA. cherimola).

Origin:The pawpaw is native to the temperate woodlands of the eastern U.S. The American Indian is credited with spreading the pawpaw across the eastern U.S. to eastern Kansas and Texas, and from the Great Lakes almost to the Gulf. Fossils prove the pawpaw is indigenous to the U.S.

Adaptation:The pawpaw is adapted to the humid continental climate of its native habitat. It is seldom found near the Atlantic or Gulf coasts. It requires a minimum of 400 hours of winter chill and at least 160 frost-free days. Pawpaws appear to be sensitive to low humidities, dry winds and cool maritime summers. It has been successfully grown in parts of California and the Pacific Northwest that meet its growing requirements. It has grown well in the San Jose area (USDA Climate Zone 9 or Sunset Climate Zone 15). The climatic conditions of Southern California make growing the pawpaw there more difficult. The deep winter dormancy of the tree makes it highly frost tolerant, withstanding temperatures of -25°F or lower (hardy to USDA Climate Zone 5). Pawpaws can be grown as container specimens, although this is not often practiced. A deep pot is needed to accommodate the root system.

DESCRIPTION

Growth Habit:The pawpaw is a deciduous, often narrowly conical tree growing from about 12 feet to around 20 feet. Pawpaw trees are prone to producing root suckers a few feet from the trunk. When these are permitted to grow, the single-clone pawpaw patch comes into being. The prevailing experiences of many individuals is that the pawpaw is a slow grower, particularly when it is young. However, under optimal greenhouse conditions, including photo-period extension light of approximately 16 hours, top growth of up to 5 feet can be attained in three months.

Foliage:The dark green, obovate-oblong, drooping leaves grow up to 12 inches long, giving the pawpaw an interesting tropical appearance. The leaves turn yellow and begin to fall in mid-autumn and leaf out again in late spring after the tree has bloomed.

Flowers:Dormant, velvety, dark brown flower buds develop in the axils of the previous years’ leaves. They produce maroon, upside-down flowers up to 2 inches across. The normal bloom period consists of about 6 weeks during March to May depending on variety, latitude and climatic conditions. The blossom consists of 2 whorls of 3 petals each, and the calyx has 3 sepals. Each flower contains several ovaries which explains why a single flower can produce multiple fruits.

Fruit:The pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to America. Individual fruits weigh 5 to 16 ounces and are 3 to 6 inches in length. The larger sizes will appear plump, similar to the mango. The fruit usually has 10 to 14 seeds in two rows. The brownish to blackish seeds are shaped like lima beans, with a length of 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches. Pawpaw fruits often occur as clusters of up to nine individual fruits. The ripe fruit is soft and thin skinned.

CULTURE

Location:The young plant is very sensitive to full sunlight and requires filtered sun for the first year or two. The use of tree shelters is an ideal solution to the problem, permitting the plant to receive a full day of filtered sunlight. Once established, pawpaws prefer full sun. The large dangling leaves dislike strong winds. Overall the tree is an excellent edible landscape addition.

Soil:Pawpaws do best in deep, fertile soil that is moist, but well-drained and slightly acid (pH5-7). The addition of compost to most western soils makes them more hospitable to the pawpaw. Avoid heavy, wet, alkaline soil.

Irrigation:The pawpaw needs regular watering during the growing season. The soil should be kept moist but avoid waterlogging.

Fertilization:The pawpaw responds to the application of an organic or granular fertilizer high in potassium twice a year. For container growing, 250–500 ppm of soluble 20-20-20 NPK plus soluble trace elements during growth phase is optimal.

Pruning:Ordinarily little pruning is required, except to remove dead, damaged or wayward branches. Periodic pruning may be used to stimulate some new growth each year on older trees, since it is new growth that produces fruit the following season.

Propagation:To break dormancy Pawpaw seed must receive a 90 to 120 day stratification, i.e. exposure to cold temperatures. To accomplish this, the seed should be placed in plastic freezer zipper bag containing a handful of moist sphagnum moss and refrigerated at 32°–40°F. The over wintering of field planted seeds normally accomplishes this stratification requirement.

Germination of pawpaw seed is hypogeal–the shoot emerges without any cotyledons. Under ideal greenhouse culture, germination can be expected in about seven weeks. Seeds field-planted in the fall will emerge the following July or August. But before the shoot emerges, the seed will have sent down a 10 inch long tap root.

Hardwood cuttings are essentially impossible to root, while root cuttings have been variable to disappointing. Some success has been reported using softwood cuttings under intermittent mist with bottom heat (80°F) and supplemental light (14 hours). All grafting and budding techniques can be performed on the pawpaw, but T-budding is not recommended. Chip-budding has been reported to be successful. Scion wood should be gathered while the tree is dormant and kept refrigerated. Grafting can be done in the spring after vegetative growth begins.

Young pawpaw plants have fleshy, brittle roots with few fine root hairs, making them difficult to transplant. It is important to follow these helpful rules:

  1. Use seedlings, not root suckers.
  2. Move the tree with roots and soil intact. A container grown specimen is best.
  3. Transplant the tree in the spring after bud break.
  4. Give the plant good drainage and keep it well watered the first year.

Pests and diseases:Pawpaw trees are relatively disease free, including a resistance to Oak Root Fungus (Armillaria). A number of vertebrates such as foxes, opossums, squirrels and raccoons will eat the fruit, although deer, goats and rabbits will not eat the leaves or twigs. The attraction of pawpaw roots to gophers is a somewhat unknown factor, but it seems likely that they would not be the gopher’s first choice. The Zebra Swallowtail butterfly’s larvae feed exclusively on young, pawpaw foliage, but never in great numbers. On the West Coast, slugs, snails and earwigs can be easily controlled by the application of Tanglefoot to a band around the pawpaw tree trunk. It is important not to apply Tanglefoot directly to the bark, however.

Pollination:Poor pollination has always plagued the pawpaw in nature, and the problem has followed them into domestication. Pawpaw flowers are perfect, in that they have both male and female reproduction parts, but they are not self-pollinating. The flowers are also protogynaus, i.e., the female stigma matures and is no longer receptive when the male pollen is shed. In addition pawpaws are self-incompatible, requiring cross pollination from another unrelated pawpaw tree.

Bees show no interest in pawpaw flowers. The task of pollenization is left to unenthusiastic species of flies and beetles. A better solution for the home gardener is to hand pollinate, using a small, soft artist’s brush to transfer pollen to the stigma. Pollen is ripe for gathering when the ball of anthers is brownish in color, loose and friable. Pollen grains should appear as small beige-colored particles on the brush hairs. The stigma is receptive when the tips of the pistils are green, glossy and sticky, and the anther ball is firm and greenish to light yellow in color.

Harvest:Pawpaw fruit ripens during a four-week period between mid August and into October, depending on various factors. When ripe, it is soft and yields easily to a gentle squeeze, and has a pronounced perfumed fragrance. The skin of the green fruit usually lightens in color as it ripens and often develops blackish splotches which do not affect the flavor or edibility. The yellow flesh is custard like and highly nutritious. The best fruit has a complex, tropical flavor unlike any other temperate zone fruit. At present, the primary use of pawpaws is for fresh eating out of hand. The ripe fruit is very perishable with a shelf life of 2 or 3 days, but will keep up to 3 weeks if it is refrigerated at 40°–45°F.

Commercial potential:Although pawpaw fruit is not yet a commercially viable commodity, the domestication process is well underway. Several academic institutions are setting up seventeen Regional Variety Trial sites. Kentucky State University is the site of Pawpaw National Clonal Germ-plasm Repository. The pawpaw has also found its way to several overseas countries, and a few of these are actively engaged in research. Pawpaw leaves and twigs contain substances with promising anti-cancer and pesitcidal properties.

Plant selection:A number of mail-order sources of pawpaw plants now offer both grafted cultivars and seedlings. Most seedling plants have been propagated from mixed seeds and will eventually end up producing undesirable fruit. Purchasers are advised to graft such plants to a known cultivar or order grafted plants initially. Container grown plants are much more likely to survive transplanting.

When placing an order for a pawpaw plant, it is helpful to have the Pawpaw Selection Option Chart below handy. Phoning in the order gives the opportunity to ask questions and substantiate it.

PAWPAW PLANT SELECTION OPTIONS
Container Grown (1)Bare Root (2)
CULTIVAR – on seedling root stocksome sourcesmost sources
CULTIVAR – from shoot/root on own root stockrarely availablerarely available
SEEDLING – from seed of mixed seed (risky fruit quality)some sourcesmost sources
SEEDLING – from seed of cultivar fruit (usually comes fairly true)rarely availablerarely available
(1) easier to get established, good survival rate
(2) slower to get established, reduced survival rate

CULTIVARS

Callaway (1990)lists over 60 pawpaw cultivars, many of which are not available in the nursery trade. TheKentucky State list of cultivars, while not as extensive, is more current. The following cultivars are among the best with regard to fruit quality:

Davis
Fruit small. Flesh yellow, green skin. Seeds large. Flavor good.
Mary Foos Johnson
Similar to Sunflower.
Mitchell
Fruit medium. Flesh golden, slightly yellow skin. Flavor excellent.
Overleese
Fruit large. Fewer seed but large. Flesh yellow. Flavor excellent.
Prolific
Fruit large. Flesh yellow. Flavor excellent.
Sunflower
Fruit medium large. Flesh golden, yellowish skin. Few seeds. Flavor good. Purported to be self-fertile.
Sweet Alice
Fruit medium large. Prolific bearer. Flesh yellow. Flavor good.
Taylor
Fruit small. Flesh yellow, green skin. Flavor mild, excellent.
Taytoo
Fruit medium. Flesh yellow, light green skin. Flavor excellent. Prolific bearer.
Wells
Fruit quite large. Flesh orange, green skin. Flavor superb.

FURTHER READING

  • Callaway, M. Brett.Pawpaw (Asimina triloba): a “Tropical” Fruit for Temperate Climates.New Crops. 1993.
  • Callaway, M. Brett.The Pawpaw (Asimina triloba).Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY. 1990.
  • Callaway, M. Brett and Dorothy J. Callaway.Our Native Pawpaw: The Next New Commercial Fruit?Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University. Fall 1992, pp 20-29.
  • Layne, D. R.Pawpaws. In: Register of Fruit and Nut Varieties, 3d ed.A.S.H.S. Press, Alexandria, VA, 1996.
  • Layne, D.R.The Pawpaw [Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal]: A New Fruit Crop for Kentucky and the United States.HortScience vol. 31, 1996, pp. 15-22.
  • Peterson, R. Neal.Pawpaws in the Garden, and Pawpaws in the Nursery Trade.Pawpaw Foundation, 1990.
  • Peterson, R. Neal.Pawpaw (Asimina).Acta Horticulture, ISHS. Feb.1991, pp. 569-600.
  • Reich, Lee.Uncommon Fruits Worthy of Attention.Addison-Wesley, 1991. pp. 3-13.
  • Kentucky State University Pawpaw Research Project

© Copyright 1996,1999,California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.
Questions or comments?Contact us.

Pawpaw – California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. (2024)

FAQs

Why is Paw Paw fruit not sold in stores? ›

And the main problem with pawpaws is they're really hard to store and ship. As soon as you pluck them, they get ripe very fast, within three to five days, and they become really squishy and brown and ugly. And so this is the main reason that pawpaw producers say they're not widely available.

How much are pawpaws worth? ›

The Price of a Pawpaw

Retail prices for fresh pawpaws at farmers markets and upscale grocery stores can range from $3 to $8 a pound—even higher when bought online. Frozen pawpaw pulp can sell for $6 a pound or more.

Why are pawpaws not grown commercially? ›

The pawpaw has been consumed by humans on our continent for thousands of years, however it has not been successful as an agricultural crop due to its brief shelf life. Some cultivated varieties of paw paw are available commercially as seeds and plants in some specialty nurseries.

How long does it take for pawpaw to grow and bear fruit? ›

How long will it take for my pawpaw tree to bear fruit? It will take 4-8 years for a pawpaw to produce fruit from seed. Since LEAF's pawpaw trees are approximately 3 feet in height at the time of delivery, this means it could take anywhere from 2-6 years for your trees to produce fruit.

What are the side effects of paw paw fruit? ›

Eating the fruit might cause hives, nausea, vomiting, headache, or faintness in some people. American pawpaw extract might cause vomiting. When applied to the skin: American pawpaw is POSSIBLY SAFE when applied to the skin, short-term. It might cause a red, itchy rash when applied to the skin in some people.

Why is Paw Paw being recalled? ›

Lucas' Papaw Remedies is recalling several batches of Lucas' Papaw Ointment (AUST L 13397) due to microbial contamination. The affected products come in 15g, 75g and 200g sizes.

Do you need 2 paw paw trees to produce fruit? ›

Pawpaw is self-incompatible, which means that pollen produced on a plant cannot pollinate flowers on the same plant. Instead, to produce fruit, a pawpaw flower must receive pollen from flowers on another tree, and sometimes this “other tree” is farther away than it may appear at first glance!

Are pawpaws healthy for you? ›

Pawpaws are very nutritious fruits. They are high in vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese. They are a good source of potassium and several essential amino acids, and they also contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc.

What is the lifespan of a pawpaw tree? ›

Pawpaw Tree features

The fruit ripens sometime between September and late October, softening when ripe similar to mangoes. The bark of a pawpaw is greyish-brown, and is smooth until the tree begins to reach the end of its lifespan (around 40 years).

Can pawpaws be grown in California? ›

It has been successfully grown in parts of California and the Pacific Northwest that meet its growing requirements. It has grown well in the San Jose area (USDA Climate Zone 9 or Sunset Climate Zone 15). The climatic conditions of Southern California make growing the pawpaw there more difficult.

What did the Native Americans do with pawpaws? ›

Indigenous Uses

The fruits of Asimina triloba were used for food. As a craft product, the inner bark was used for rope, string, and lacing. Splints were used for basketry and matting. The wood was used for firestarting for hand drills and fireboards as well as bow and drill.

What eats paw paw fruit? ›

Songbirds, wild turkeys, raccoons, opossums, foxes, and black bears all eat Pawpaw; but in my experience, plenty of Pawpaw fruits don't get eaten, falling to the ground to feed the soil instead. Unless, of course, people come along in time.

Are paw paws hard to grow? ›

While for many species a bare-root tree is sufficient for transplanting, it is not preferred for pawpaw. Though difficult to transplant, once established, the pawpaw is vigorous and easy to maintain.

What is the health benefit of eating pawpaw seeds? ›

Papaya seeds contain bioactive compounds that may have anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds may help reduce inflammation in the body and provide relief from inflammatory conditions. Papaya enzymes, particularly papain, are known for their digestive properties.

Why is papaya out of stock everywhere? ›

The supply of papayas out of Mexico continues to be tight. "There's been a shortage and it's a weather-related problem. Pretty much the whole industry is affected--it's across the board," says Lance Peterson of Super Starr International. Papaya supply has been tight since the start of the year due to weather.

Can you buy pawpaws in the grocery store? ›

Pawpaws, a relatively obscure fruit, are native to the eastern United States, but will likely never be seen anywhere other than local farmers markets. Sometimes referred to as a hillbilly mango or a hipster banana, the pawpaw has a custard-like texture and a flavor reminiscent of a cross between a mango and a banana.

Where do you find pawpaw fruit? ›

The pawpaw fruit is native to 26 U.S. states, all along the East Coast between Ontario, Canada, and northern Florida west to Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Nebraska, Kansas, and even Texas, according to National Geographic.

Why are pawpaws so rare? ›

Pawpaw is self-incompatible, which means that pollen produced on a plant cannot pollinate flowers on the same plant. Instead, to produce fruit, a pawpaw flower must receive pollen from flowers on another tree, and sometimes this “other tree” is farther away than it may appear at first glance!

References

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