Stalking the Exotic and Wild Paw Paw Tree
I joined a group of fellow explorers from the PA Backyard Fruit Growers Association this past weekend to take part in a perilous expedition in search of wild Paw Paws in the back country of South Central, PA.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t so dangerous, and most of the Paw Paw trees were actually fairly tame and cultivated varieties rather than those growing wild, but it was still a new and interesting experience for most of our group. The BYFG Paw Paw tours take place each fall but this was my first opportunity to attend the annual outing.
Introducing the Unusual and Rare Paw Paw Tree
If you’re not familiar with the Paw Paw don’t feel bad because they’re pretty uncommon and seldom find their way into the typical backyard landscape. They do grow wild in Pennsylvania and other areas on the East Coast, with a range that extends down into the southern states.
Paw Paws are a medium sized, upright growing tree with large dark green leaves, and clusters of fruit that ripen early in the fall season. The tree is attractive and often takes on a pyramid like shape with a wide base narrowing to a peak at the top.
There are many different varieties of Paw Paws including; Sunflower, Mango, Collins Select, Pennsylvania Golden, Davis, and Rebecca’s Gold. Growers are also currently working to develop new varieties of Paw Paws in attempts to improve its growth, quality, and productivity.
Cultivating Paw Paw’s in the Home Garden
For a plant that grows wild you would think that it would be a cinch to raise Paw Paws in the back yard or garden. Unfortunately that isn’t necessarily the case. While some gardeners are quite successful cultivating this fruit, others struggle with the temperamental and painfully slow growing plant.
The first challenge for the gardener is due to the Paw Paws odd cultural requirements. The plant does not take well at all to being transplanted. Then the young seedling grows best in a shady location, but for fruiting and mature growth the plant prefers to be situated in full sunshine.
So transplant paw paws with the root ball intact, provide temporary shade for the juvenile plant, grow the tree in a spot where it will receive full sun when it matures and finally, make sure your patience is high because this is a very slow growing and maturing fruit.
It appears that the location and growing environment are key considerations and that the trees appreciate a nearby water source such as a stream or spring. The paw paw seems to tolerate sharing its space with other trees, will grow in forested areas, and will spread by way of underground runners to expand its territory and produce new offspring.
Strange Sights and Odors in the Paw Paw Patch
A mature paw paw tree can grow over twenty-five feet tall but it may take a decade to reach such lofty heights. You can enjoy your first fruits in less than half that time though, with puny little five foot tall paw paw trees straining to support a paltry crop of heavy and full-sized fruits.
Paw Paws are also “unique” when it comes to their pollination requirements. You typically need more than one variety for pollination and paw paw flowers are described as being “dark and stinky” so good luck in getting a bee to go anywhere near this tree!
Instead paw paws are dependent on flies and beetles to do the dirty work necessary for their pollination. Some paw paw enthusiasts place road killed carcasses near their trees to help draw in the pollinators, but I think I’d test my skill at hand pollinating before resorting to more drastic measures!
Sweet Rewards for the Adventurous Fruit Seeker
If all of this paw paw discussion sounds really, really strange don’t worry, things aren’t about to change at the end of the tale. Paw paw fruits look a little bit like an elongated mango with a creamy yellow or white pulp inside. They are ripe when they begin to soften and should not be removed from the tree prior to that stage. The fruit will also fall from the tree as the ripen.
Ripe paw paw fruits are very aromatic and will quickly fill the room with an exotic and fruity aroma. Most paw paw admirers search them out or grow them not for an ornamental display, but because of the tasty fruit that’s not easy to describe or draw comparisons to.
The best comparison would be with something that’s not a fruit at all… a rich, colorful, sweet flavored custard; that’s exactly how I would describe the texture and flavor of the paw paw’s flesh. I personally like them but at least one of my co-workers that I shared the fruits with had a very different reaction and opinion (but I have to give her credit for trying it)!
Maybe it was the texture and odd consistency that she wasn’t prepared for. All I can say is that paw paws must be pretty delicious — either that or a lot of people are just as peculiar as this fruit is to go through all the effort to forage or cultivate this uncommon plant.
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September 16th, 2008 at 12:09 am
How interesting! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten paw paw, but it certainly sounds worth trying. I have never seen the fruit for sale here (not that I’ve looked). It would have to be “imported” from the East Coast, as I doubt the trees grow here. I’ll keep my eyes open!
September 16th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Really cool. I’ve never seen one of these in the wild. But I hope I do now that I know they exist!
September 17th, 2008 at 5:50 am
I’ve had nothing but trouble growing PawPaw trees in the past. I started about ten from seed. THey all germinated very easily, and the also transplated well, but over the past threes years they’ve either died or just done very little in the way of growing. I think I’m down to three now. Glad it’s been successful for you.
September 17th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Kitt, good luck finding a paw paw in any market, I don’t think that there are any commercial growers and it would be a difficult crop to cultivate and even more of a problem to ship the ripe fruits any distance.
Josh, there are parks and forested areas here in PA that have wild stands of mature paw paws that are flourishing.
Mrtumnas, I don’t grow any paw paws myself although I’m thinking of giving it a try and have a spot in mind where they might grow. They do seem like a finicky tree to raise and are very particular about their growing conditions. But I saw many examples of cultivated trees that were growing just fine and if your environment is right they care for themselves as evidenced by the trees that grow wild with no assistance from a gardener.
September 17th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
[...] VeggieGardeningtips.com has a great article on growing PawPaws that made me want to weep this morning. If you haven’t added this amazing site to your RSS reader yet, then you should. You could add me while you’re at it, by the way [...]
January 4th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
I’ve messed with Paw Paws for a long time. They seem to be a legume. Legumes rely on specific bacteria [called inoculant] in the soil to thrive. A large amount of soil left on the root ball should provide the proper bacteria. I enjoy your site. Glenn in Kansas
April 27th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
I will be planting a pair of Paw Paws near my house and am very interested to know how invasive the root system will be vis a vis my waste water pipe system. I am connected to the county’s sewer system, so there is no drain field to screw up, but there are pipes that always might possibly have a crack to be invaded. There are few gardening rules I won’t break, but I have a healthy respect for the one abut not planting a River Birch or Weeping Willow near the pipes. I just want to know if the Paw Paw falls into their category.
April 27th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Sorry but I can’t advise on how invasive the paw paw root systems are. I have a friend that has a large paw paw tree growing next to his home, but if there is any concern over your pipes I would play it safe. I know that paw paws do like water and I’ve seen them growing wild alongside streams here in Pennsylvania.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
[...] have a Mammee fig and a shaving brush tree close to the river. We also planted Paw Paws and Tamarinds on each of the two bottom corners of our property. Tamarind is a tree with SO many [...]
June 11th, 2009 at 6:15 am
I am going to try to grow three of them. I planted two several years ago and they did grow, until my kids cut them down with the mower. THey sprouted again and again my kids ran over them with the mower. Oh well.
So I am going to try once again and see if we can get some of that delicious fruit I have read about, but never tasted.
June 24th, 2009 at 5:31 am
My paw paw tree was just a fluke, i buried some seeds and forgot about it, when it was approx 60cm tall, i wondered what invasive plant this was, being a working mom, i decided to let it grow some more then try to look in my gardening books what this plant was, so happy to discover that it was a paw paw tree.These friuts are quite expensive (priced per kg) in RSA that’s why I wanted to try and plant my own. My tree is just over 1m tall now, and there are little flowers popping out, am I gonna see fruit soon? My tree cant be more than a year old!
June 24th, 2009 at 6:30 am
Paw Paws take a long time to reach maturity but I have heard of young trees only a few feet tall managing to bear one or two paw paw fruits, so it is possible.
July 12th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Do these PAW PAW hunts still take place in or around south central PA ? I’m in Mechanicsburg and would be interested in going on 1 of these adventures.
Please let me know,
Mark
July 12th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Hi Mark, I attended the paw paw outing last fall and as far as I know another tour will be scheduled sometime around September. There is nothing posted on the calendar yet but you can check the Backyard Fruit Growers website later this summer when it is updated. They may hold off setting dates because the times vary depending on the ripening of the paw paw fruits.
August 6th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
We are living in Norway and have planted a paw paw seed in March an now it`s growing about 4 inch.
Norway is not as cold as many people think. We are living in the south of Norway and in the wintertime we can have temperatures down to 10f.
What do you think the chance is to succeed?
regards Anne Liv & Arvid
August 6th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Hello Anne Liv, Paw Paw’s seem to be pretty hardy and survive the winters here in PA rather easily, so I think that it’s worth a try and that you have a very good chance to grow them successfully in Norway.
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Kenny, could you tell me of a place in the Harrisburg area where paw paws grow in the wild? I think I missed this year’s outing.
September 22nd, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Paw paws grow great here in Juniata county. Both wild and purchased cultivars. Mine start bearing at about 4 years of age. I harvest them a few days before they are completely ripe or the raccoons have dinner.
Hand pollinating is quite a chore. Roadkill an efficient option.
September 28th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Northern Indiana – never heard of them till last week when a guy gave my friend one. He said to put in the freezer for a couple days, then peel it like a banana. i can’t wait to taste it!!
October 1st, 2009 at 8:01 am
I planted 3 Paw Paws in the springof 09 and all three have developed leaves and seem to be surviving. Most of the growth is from the base of the plant. I am going to plant a more mature Paw Paw tree this spring. I planted them on the edge of my woods where there are a lot of deer flies and beetles.
October 1st, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Dear Denis,
and everyone else posting about paw paws. I wish you all could stop by tomorrow. I am up to my ears in ripe paw paws. Tired of making cookies. Now, I am peeling them, removing the seeds, putting the flesh in the blender with about a half cup of frozen orange juice concentrate and freezing the puree in pint jars. I’ll add it to oatmeal, breads, pancakes, and other such this winter. According to the Kentucky web site, it is very rich in vitamins and minerals, so don’t want to waste any.
Cynthia
October 6th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
I’ve never seen a paw paw but they sound interesting. Are there any growing in the wild near Philadelphia, PA? I’d love to see and taste these.
October 7th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Carol,
Do you have a native plant organization near you? They should be able to answer your question.
November 16th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Just wondering if anyone knows if there are wild paw paw trees on Maryland ?