Picture an orchard. You probably thought about apples, or maybe pears, or maybe peaches. Californians may picture almonds. Louisianans may picture pecans. Those from southern Europe may even picture olives. But have you ever thought about pawpaw?
According to the National Park Service, the pawpaw is “fascinating native tree.” It has leaves and branches that deer avoid and “fruit that is loved by all.”
The pawpaw produces the largest edible fruit native to North America. The fruit begins to ripen in late summer and peaks in September and October. Its flavor is often compared to bananas, but with hints of mango, vanilla and citrus. Despite those tropical notes, the NPS notes that the fruit has “the ungainly appearance of a small green potato.”
The native range for the tree is most of eastern North America, from Ontario and Michigan and
Wisconsin, south into Florida, and west into Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and eastern Texas. In New York, Cornell Cooperative Extension and others have been working to grow the appeal of the fruit through meetings and even a guide, published in October 2021. You can find that guide here.
Why consider adding this fruit tree to your home or farm? The USDA believes the pawpaw “is an underutilized small fruit tree that provides limited economic benefits to rural communities that could be expanded with improved handling, distribution and processing.”
It’s currently considered a specialty forest food which is promoted through producer associations, community festivals, niche restaurants and internet enterprises. Fresh and processed pawpaw is usually marketed seasonally through farmers markets, organic food stores, select restaurants and other specialty retail venues.
It is crucial to note that pawpaw does have a short shelf life, low fruit yields and doesn’t ship well. USDA says value-added economic opportunities are developing for the use of pawpaw pulp in juices, ice cream, yogurt and baked goods. It’s even been promoted as a substitute for bananas and mangos.
There aren’t many pawpaw trees per acre across the range of the species, and there has been a steady decline in volume (measured in cubic feet per acre) since 2009. But it deserves some attention, even as a novelty, as the most northern member of a tropical family.
Southern Living offered up some great tips on what you need if you want to grow pawpaw:
- The soil around the pawpaw should be slightly acidic (pH balance of 5.5 to 7), well-draining and fertile for best growth and fruit production.
- Younger pawpaw trees require more frequent watering. Mature trees that have access to a regular water source shouldn’t require much additional watering. But if they’re planted in an orchard, some additional watering might be helpful for the trees to prevent overdrying of the soil.
- Young pawpaw trees prosper in partial shade. For mature trees, full sun is best.
- Pawpaw trees are hardy to USDA Zone 5 and can handle cold temperatures up to -20º F. They perform best in climates with hot and humid summers. You can grow pawpaw in a container garden, though you’ll need a deep vessel because the trees have vast root systems that need plenty of space to grow.
Want to learn more? This person grows pawpaws in the town abutting the Country Culture offices!
