PAWPAW
The pawpaw is a delicious fruit indigenous to this country
and was eaten by native Americans and early settlers. The fruit
has a distinctive creamy custard texture and a sweet mango banana
like flavor. It is excellent when eaten fresh, and delicious in
puddings, cookies, pies, ice cream and breads. Pawpaw fruit is reported
to be higher in proteins and carbohydrates than apples, peaches
and grapes, and it contains high levels of amino acids, vitamins
A and C, and many minerals.
Pawpaw ( Asimina triloba ) is the only temperate climate member
of the tropical family Annonaceae, which includes the cherimoya,
a cultivated fruit popular in the tropics. In the wild it grows
from southern Michigan to Georgia and from the Atlantic coast to
Kansas. It is generally found in the understory of wooded areas,
especially in rich moist bottomlands and along streams. The tree
will grow in well drained upland wooded areas, although in these
locations the fruit may be less abundant and somewhat smaller.
The pawpaw is deciduous and reaches heights of 20 to 30 feet, occasionally
40 feet. If space and light allows, it will develop into a handsome
cone-shaped specimen. The tree tends to send up off-shoots from
stolons every few feet, a tendency which diminishes if confined
to one trunk. The tree's large, drooping, elliptical leaves give
it a tropical appearance. The leaves measure up to 12 inches long
and 3 to 4 inches wide. In the autumn they turn a golden yellow.
A pawpaw seedling should begin blooming in six to eight years. The
flowers are dark maroon in color and up to 1 1/2 inches across,
blooming occurs on previous year's wood. They have six leathery
petals, three on the outside spreading into a rounded triangle and
three smaller petals nestled on the inside. The flowers exhibit
a drooping or downward posture.
Tiny clusters of fruit appear after pollination. The clusters, typically
have two to six green skinned fruits, point outward in a manner
similar to bananas. In northern Illinois the fruit will mature from
late September through mid October. The pawpaw's intense tropical
flavor, sweetness, and aroma will fully develop if left on the tree
until it is ready to drop. This is the time to pick pawpaws for
favor quality; however the fully ripened fruit has a shelf life
of only a few days and it is easily damaged. The fruit can be successfully
stored in refrigeration for up to three weeks. The fruit ranges
from a few ounces to as much as a pound; typically, the fruit will
be five to ten ounces. Pawpaws, generally, are three to five inches
long with a caramel yellow pulp containing two rows of dark brown
lima bean-like seeds that take up a large volume. The seeds are
not difficult to remove.
Why has this hardy and delicious native fruit that thrives with
little or no care, highly resistant to insects and diseases, been
largely overlooked? The major drawbacks are: the fruit is highly
perishable, thus commercial production and handling methods have
never been developed. Successful transplanting of a tree or root
sucker is difficult because of the taproot, therefore, the pawpaw
is grown by very few home orchardists.
 |
|
 |
|
If you are interested in edible landscaping that is attractive in
appearance, try a pawpaw. To get a pawpaw going consider buying
seedlings or grafted cultivars from nurseries. Another simple way
to start a tree is to plant seeds outdoors in the fall. Collect
seeds from a tree that has tasty and abundant fruit. Be sure to
keep the seeds moist until planting. Plant the seeds in a spot that
is moist and partially sunny. A shallow planting is best. Also good
results can be obtained by simply scattering seeds on the ground
and then covering them with two or three inches of rotted mulch
or leaves. Shoots will not appear until the following summer. Sometimes
the seeds may lie dormant a year and not germinate until the second
spring. If the selected area is sunny, the seedling will need shade
for a couple of years. Full sunlight is deadly to seedlings. This
problem can be overcome by putting a barrel ( approx. 30" long
), open on both ends, around the seedling. The barrel may be removed
when the seedling grows to the top of the barrel. You should have
two or more varieties to insure fruit set. If it should become necessary
to transplant, the best time is in the spring when the tree is only
one or two years old.
Grafting can be utilized to propagate cultivars exhibiting desirable
fruiting characteristics or as a means to avoid the difficulties
of transplanting. Once a seedling trunk has grown to about the thickness
of a pencil it is suitable for grafting scion wood from a tree one
wishes to reproduce. Scion wood should be from last year's wood
and contain at least two good leaf buds. The leaf buds have a flattened
profile and taper to a point, whereas blossom buds are roundish,
larger and are a darker brown. A good time to graft is when the
buds on the understock are showing green. If by chance a seedling,
or seedlings, upon reaching fruiting age produces fruit not of your
liking simply graft on scion wood from a tree producing fruit of
desirable characteristics.
Pawpaw
seedlings and grafted cultivars are available from various sources.
Examples are:
-
Peterson Pawpaws, PO Box 1011, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425, (304)535-3125. Pawpaw expert and founder of The PawPaw Foundation, Neal Peterson owns this nursery. MidFEx members love the quality of his nursery stock; a highly recommended source.
-
Raintree Nursery, 391 Butts Rd, Morton, WA 98356, (360)496-6400
Superior
Pawpaw Web Sites
Return to MidFEx's home page
|
