![]() Learn more about this fascinating species at the Pawpaw Research Center, Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Project.Ĭalifornia Rare Fruit Growers//pubs/pawpaw.html Promising new research also suggests that substances in pawpaw leaves and twigs might have anti-cancer properties. In addition to its other winning characteristics, the pawpaw is relatively disease-free, so no chemicals are needed to keep it healthy. If you love watching those butterflies, as I do, then this might be a great choice for your yard. Most insects steer clear of this tree, but it happens to be the only host plant for larvae of the stunning zebra swallowtail. Birds, squirrels, foxes, and black bears do enjoy eating pawpaw fruit, but they are generally not destructive to the tree as a whole. Hurray for the pawpaw! It’s one of those rare plants that deer and rabbits avoid, mainly because of the somewhat smelly bark, twigs, leaves, and flowers. Unfortunately, their foul odor keeps most bees away, so home gardeners often hand-pollinate their own trees. To produce fruit, a pawpaw tree requires cross pollination from another unrelated pawpaw tree. Remember not to let a young seedling dry out as it gets established in its new setting. The trunk of a pawpaw tree should be surrounded by a generous layer of mulch (straw or wood chips) for weed control and moisture retention. ![]() Young trees should be spaced 2½ – 3 meters apart in rows that are at least 6 meters wide, so they will have ample room to grow and reproduce. Pawpaw trees need fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic (pH 6-7) soil to thrive. Spring is the time to plant container-grown seedlings. For best luck with new pawpaw trees, buy container-grown seedlings (not bare roots) of recommended varieties, such as ‘Davis’, ‘Overleese’, ‘Prolific, ‘Sunflower’, or ‘Taylor’ from a reputable nursery. Field-planted seeds will not emerge until the following summer, and those plants may not produce flowers or fruit for another five years or more. If seeds are used, they must be stratified (kept cold) for 3-4 months in a moist environment (e.g., with sphagnum moss). How do you cultivate pawpaws? Root suckers from a pawpaw patch can be used to start new trees, but the success rate is low. Pawpaws are also a good source of dietary fiber. Like bananas, oranges, and apples, they offer generous amounts of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and amino acids, but pawpaw fruit provide comparatively more protein. By the way, pawpaws are high in nutritional value. Besides eating them raw, you can substitute pawpaws for bananas when baking, or process them for ice cream, a scrumptious treat! If you cook with pawpaws, use recipes that call for little or no heat because high temperatures can ruin the special taste of this fruit. The creamy texture melts in your mouth as the fresh, tropical flavor is released, giving way to dreams of the Caribbean. Not everyone likes pawpaws, but they definitely appeal to my taste buds. Each pawpaw has 10-12 seeds, each one the size of a thumbnail. Inside the fruit, two rows of big black seeds are embedded in squishy, deep yellow pulp. When ready for consumption, the ever-softening pawpaws become yellowish and have dark spots on their skin. ![]() As clumps of fruit grow and increase in size (up to 15 cm in length), their weight may cause sagging tree branches. Pawpaw fruit resembles the shape of a mango, somewhat like a flattened oval covered in light green skin. Each flower has more than one ovary, so one flower can produce several pawpaws, which ripen in the fall. Unlike the blossoms on many other trees, pawpaw flowers are not profuse and have a slightly unpleasant odor. These small (diameter of 3-5 cm), perfect flowers (both male and female reproductive parts are present) with six petals and three sepals appear early in the springtime. What about the flowers and fruit? Pawpaw flowers are deep burgundy at first and then turn a maroonish-brown color when fully mature. ![]()
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