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Paw Paw Trees
Posted on 1/4/26 at 10:22 am
Posted on 1/4/26 at 10:22 am
Any advice on planting a Paw Paw tree? I bought a 5 gallon on a whim, and after researching some, realized they can be difficult to establish well. Also realized I need another one to fruit.
Impulse buying at the nursery may have got me again
Impulse buying at the nursery may have got me again
5
Posted on 1/4/26 at 10:24 am to RougeDawg
yes you need two or more.
you also need dappled shade and sandy loam. And a lot of patience.
you also need dappled shade and sandy loam. And a lot of patience.
Posted on 1/4/26 at 11:15 am to RougeDawg
I put a few in the ground 8 to 10 years ago that I grew from seed here in br.
About 4 ft tall now, surviving but hardly thriving. One put on flowers last year.
Will probably topgraft some low chill hour varieties eventually.
I haven't really researched what those might be. What variety did you buy?
Put some in the ground in zone 6B Virginia about 20 years ago that have created broad thickets and produce every second or third year. I've never been there at ripening, and have never tasted pawpaw.
About 4 ft tall now, surviving but hardly thriving. One put on flowers last year.
Will probably topgraft some low chill hour varieties eventually.
I haven't really researched what those might be. What variety did you buy?
Put some in the ground in zone 6B Virginia about 20 years ago that have created broad thickets and produce every second or third year. I've never been there at ripening, and have never tasted pawpaw.
Posted on 1/4/26 at 11:29 am to luvdoc
the bears get all the fruit from the trees at dads place. They know to the hour when to be under the trees
Posted on 1/4/26 at 12:53 pm to luvdoc
American Paw Paw. Asimina Triloba.
Posted on 1/4/26 at 3:22 pm to RougeDawg
Like apples and most other fruit, there are individual varieties with variable characteristics in size of plant / fruit, taste, production, and tolerance of warm winters.
We are at the southern end of their range, and I am pretty sure many of the typical varieties grown further north would languish or not fruit down here, very similar to our very limited options for apples.
Did your tag indicate which named variety you bought?
I recently read that the newest varieties far exceed the old classics for taste. There just hasn't been a lot of effort in breeding until recently, with an explosion of new improved varieties
We are at the southern end of their range, and I am pretty sure many of the typical varieties grown further north would languish or not fruit down here, very similar to our very limited options for apples.
Did your tag indicate which named variety you bought?
I recently read that the newest varieties far exceed the old classics for taste. There just hasn't been a lot of effort in breeding until recently, with an explosion of new improved varieties
This post was edited on 1/4/26 at 3:24 pm
Posted on 1/4/26 at 4:27 pm to luvdoc
Kentucky State University is ground zero for pawpaw research. OP you should read through the entire site if you want to have a good idea of what to do and why. I do think planting them is worth it. I’ve got a half shady spot I’ve thought about dumping a tandem full of sand on and tilling it in to try and get a patch going just haven’t had time
KSU
KSU
Posted on 1/4/26 at 7:37 pm to luvdoc
quote:
Did your tag indicate which named variety you bought?
It only says "American". Is that a variety? Came from Bracy's Nursery in Amite.
Posted on 1/4/26 at 9:14 pm to RougeDawg
If variety/cultivar not named, it's probably a seedling, with low probability of being anything exceptional
But put it in the ground, give it a year or two to get established, and buy some cuttings of a good Southern variety to graft onto it one spring
Here is one site that I have bought from before for other fruit. Plenty of other sites online with a Google search
LINK
Let us know what you find from the nursery, and if you come across some varieties known to be suitable down here
But put it in the ground, give it a year or two to get established, and buy some cuttings of a good Southern variety to graft onto it one spring
Here is one site that I have bought from before for other fruit. Plenty of other sites online with a Google search
LINK
Let us know what you find from the nursery, and if you come across some varieties known to be suitable down here
This post was edited on 1/4/26 at 9:22 pm
Posted on 1/4/26 at 9:32 pm to luvdoc
Posted on 1/4/26 at 10:21 pm to RougeDawg
quote:
Paw Paw
fruit is overrated. I'll eat a few every year then I'm done. A mango is better in every way.
Posted on 1/5/26 at 9:06 pm to RougeDawg
I planted 5 trees of mostly different cultivars last year. Four of them seem to be doing well and one hasn’t grown much at all. It’s very likely that the one you bought is just a seedling, meaning that it was grown from a seed so there’s no telling what the fruit will be like. The named cultivars all have their own characteristics that have been selectively chosen over years. I would plant the one you bought and graft a scion (small stick from a desirable or known cultivar) onto it when the leaves are beginning to emerge from your tree and are about 2” long. That will give your scion the best change of survival. I did this with two of my trees last spring and they both took. These were the first grafts that I’ve ever attempted and it was honestly pretty easy.
If you haven’t yet, join the PawPaw Fanclub International Facebook group page. Some on there are a wealth of knowledge. I purchased my scion wood from one of the guys in that group.
Also, pawpaws don’t necessarily need to be planted in shade. They are an understory tree and prefer shade, but as they get older they will produce much more fruit if they’re in full sun. It’s kind of ugly, but I bought some 42” welded wire from Home Depot and made a cylinder around each tree, then wrapped them in burlap. The burlap gives them enough shade to survive the first 2-3 years. Then you can expose them to full sun. It sounds like a pain, but I’m hoping it will be worth it when they all start fruiting.
Honestly, I’ve never tasted a pawpaw. There are numerous cultivars that all have different tastes and everything that I’ve read is that people either love or hate them. Hopefully by planting several varieties, I’ll have at least one type that I love.
Lastly, depending on where you live, you may be interested in attending the annual Gulf South Pawpaw symposium that’s held near Chalmette. I made it two years ago, but missed the recent one this past November. They have several guest speakers who are experts on pawpaws. They give away a couple pawpaw trees to everyone who attends which is pretty cool too.
If you haven’t yet, join the PawPaw Fanclub International Facebook group page. Some on there are a wealth of knowledge. I purchased my scion wood from one of the guys in that group.
Also, pawpaws don’t necessarily need to be planted in shade. They are an understory tree and prefer shade, but as they get older they will produce much more fruit if they’re in full sun. It’s kind of ugly, but I bought some 42” welded wire from Home Depot and made a cylinder around each tree, then wrapped them in burlap. The burlap gives them enough shade to survive the first 2-3 years. Then you can expose them to full sun. It sounds like a pain, but I’m hoping it will be worth it when they all start fruiting.
Honestly, I’ve never tasted a pawpaw. There are numerous cultivars that all have different tastes and everything that I’ve read is that people either love or hate them. Hopefully by planting several varieties, I’ll have at least one type that I love.
Lastly, depending on where you live, you may be interested in attending the annual Gulf South Pawpaw symposium that’s held near Chalmette. I made it two years ago, but missed the recent one this past November. They have several guest speakers who are experts on pawpaws. They give away a couple pawpaw trees to everyone who attends which is pretty cool too.
Posted on 1/6/26 at 4:52 pm to Bee Man
Posted on 1/6/26 at 5:12 pm to luvdoc
Great selection.
I ordered mine from a guy named Terry Castellow on the Pawpaw Facebook group page. They were 7.50 each and shipping was only $9.
I ordered mine from a guy named Terry Castellow on the Pawpaw Facebook group page. They were 7.50 each and shipping was only $9.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 11:58 am to RougeDawg
I've got 2 Louisiana native seedlings and 3 named varieties in the ground (sunflower, mango, Susquehanna). I also have a seedling of Collins select, which is a southern cultivar. I'm going to graft Shenandoah on one of the Louisiana native root stocks. All the seedlings are in dappled shade next to a bayou.
My 3 grafted are in full sun on sandy soil and will have shade cloth this year and maybe next. The grafted sunflower is about 6 feet tall.
I should have a good preliminary report of what works and what doesn't over the next year.
My 3 grafted are in full sun on sandy soil and will have shade cloth this year and maybe next. The grafted sunflower is about 6 feet tall.
I should have a good preliminary report of what works and what doesn't over the next year.
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