Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Growing Basics and Facts
Mother Farm
A Quick Guide for the East Bay Area
Pawpaw Basics and Dichogamy
Pawpaws are relatives to the Annonacea family, classified under Asimoya. They are the most temperate of fruits in that family which has allowed them to be grown and cultivated for years in North America by Native Americans. Asimoya can be found growing in the wild in 25 states in the Eastern US. They best grow as understory trees near rivers and fertile soils.
Pawpaws are best grown as a single trunk in a pyramidal form. They will need some kind of protection from the sun when they are young (i.e. shadecloth, underneath taller bushes or trees, etc.). Pawpaws tend to flower long before their leaves come out in mid spring. These flowers can hold multiple ovaries, anywhere from 3-7, allowing a single flower to produce multiple fruits.The flowers are a velvety dark maroon color that look like a bell. Instead of bees, pawpaws are pollinated by flies and beetles who are often attracted to meat-colored petals. The flowers also tend to have a rotten, unpleasant smell that attracts their pollinators. Pawpaw trees also form underground stems known as “stolons” which allows for more pawpaw trees to come up where the mother tree has pushed out roots. Typically pawpaws have very sensitive roots making them hard to transplant and difficult to grow in pots.
At the PJ Mother Farm in a sunny microclimate of the East Bay Area, we have been lucky (depending on who you ask) to have a large population of gophers. For many years prior to the introduction of our barn owl boxes, we trapped these gophers. A common practice we had was to leave our transitioned gopher friends by the pawpaw trees to attract more flies, thus increasing the pollination. In some cases, people leave meat out by their trees, or hang banana peels on lower branches, but that might attract other critters. So many just hand pollinate.
We do sell pawpaw plants that we propagate from our mother trees, but they sell out fast whenever we put them back online. If you just can't wait, we also sell unnamed pawpaw seedlings. These trees should all produce good tasty fruit and make hardy and healthy specimens. Excellent as a pollinator for any of our named grafted trees, or plant at least 2 for pollination if growing alone.
Pawpaw fruit is sometimes referred to as “Poor Man's Banana” (probably an east coast reference) while others refer to it as custard fruit. Pawpaw fruit typically grows in clusters which is pretty outstanding coming from a single flower bloom. Clusters can be anywhere from 2 - 7 fruits. The fruit is highly aromatic and ripens here in the Bay Area usually in the fall to early winter. The fruit can take 4-5 months to ripen from when the flower is pollinated. Something to note is that pawpaw can take 4-7 years to begin producing fruit even if the tree is grafted. We often get asked if there is a grocery store or market that sells pawpaw fruit, and the answer is "not that we know of". The reason is that pawpaw fruit almost never makes it to market due to very thin skin. Pawpaws are delicate and can only be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days, though they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Pawpaw Cultivars that have fruited in El Sobrante, East Bay Area:
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Pennsylvania Gold
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Overleese
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Shenandoah
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Mango
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Prolific
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Rebecca’s Gold
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Sunflower
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Potomac
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Susquehanna
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Taylor
The PJ Mother Farms’s top 4 recommendations for East Bay Area (in no particular order):
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Overleese (most people like this one)
Why these are recommended? They are all precocious (begin fruiting relatively early), have high fruit quality, and provide an extended harvest window across the season.
Flavor Profile
Pawpaw fruit has a very interesting flavor similar to other fruits in the family; it just gives tropical flavor upon smelling it and tasting it. Many people enjoy this fruit because its flavor is much like something you probably have tried before but can’t dial it in. To most folks Pawpaw’s taste like mango, pineapple, avocado, banana, vanilla, cherimoya with a few mentioning jackfruit. The fruit texture is custard-like and it can even melt in your mouth similar to a Flan or pudding.
Cultivation
Choose a planting location protected from strong wind and intense sun, especially when the plants are young. In inland locations, choose a location that gets morning sun and afternoon shade if possible. This is important for at least the first 3 years of the tree's life. Plant in soil with good drainage. Apply thick layers of mulch to keep the feeder root zone moist. Soil should be neutral to slightly acidic and there should be minimal to no root disturbance when planting—the tap roots are very sensitive. Pawpaws tend to do well with the Bay Area’s freezing temperature, but extreme heat might damage a young tree. Lastly, and more importantly, it is essential to protect all green stems and bark from sun damage until the tree is able to leaf out and protect itself. Common ways to protect the bark and green branches is by using diluted latex paint ( 30% paint 70% water) or using other organic forms such as what is offered from IV organics.
When planting in soils that don’t have good drainage such as heavy clay soils, it is recommended to use gypsum as it can aid in breaking down the clay soil.
Fertility
You can use different types of manure high in nitrogen to encourage pawpaws to grow a bit faster. Some of the best manures are composted horse, goat, and cow manure, but if you are unable to access these kinds of manures then chicken manure—more commonly found—works just as well. You can also use other non-manure fertilizers to feed your tree, just make sure you purchase slow release fertilizers, as they take time to break down and give small doses of fertility as your pawpaw needs them in the growing season.
Sources
Lyle, S. (2006). Fruit & Nuts: A Comprehensive Guide to the Cultivation, Uses and Health Benefits of Over 300 Food Producing Plants. Timber Press. (Link)
Want to learn more about the cultural and ecological significance of this amazing plant?
North America's Largest Fruit - University of Tennessee
Pawpaw: Small Tree, Big Impact - NPS
America's Best Secret Fruit - Serious Eats
