General Pawpaw Information

• The pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to America.  Fruit can range from 2 to 5 or more inches long (see photos) and can weigh as much as a pound, though they're usually a half pound or less in the wild
• Flavor is likened to banana, mango, and pineapple, with a custard-like texture
• Fruit often hangs in clusters or two or more
• Pawpaws are usually found as understory trees in moist areas with rich soil
• Pawpaw roots aren't very "hairy," and trees have a large taproot, making them difficult to transplant
• Pawpaws sucker in the wild, resulting in pawpaw "patches" of clone trees
• Pawpaw seeds must be kept moist and require a "stratification" (chilling) period in order to germinate
• Rarely, some people develop an allergic dermatitis reaction like poison ivy to pawpaw fruit

Named Cultivars

Available

• Kentucky Statue University maintains a comprehensive list of available cultivars with sources

Missing!  Do you know where a tree of any of these cultivars can be found?

• List of Lost/Missing Pawpaw Cultivars

BYFG Pawpaw Activites

• Annual Pawpaw Tour - Backyard Fruit Growers holds an annual Pawpaw Tour of a number of wild pawpaw "patches" along the Susquehanna river in Lancaster county.
• Annual Fall Tasting - During our annual fall (apple) tasting event, sometimes pawpaws or other interesting fruit show up to taste as well.  This past fall the tasting included apples, pawpaws, persimmons (Kaki and Common), Kiwifruit, apple butter, and cider from a number of member orchards.

Pawpaw Information

• California Rare Fruit Growers - Pawpaw Fact Sheet from the CRFG - good general information about the pawpaw.
• Kentucky State University Pawpaw Page - Lots of information about the Pawpaw!  Of special note is the long list of available cultivars with sources!
• Ohio Pawpaw Grower's Association -
• Desmond Layne's Pawpaw Articles - Technical articles on the Pawpaw including one on genetic diversity of a number of selected cultivars - interesting reading.
• Clemson University Horticulture - Lots of Pawpaw information including a long list of publications and links to other sites
• Purdue University Pawpaw Page - Good information about the Pawpaw including a Fact Sheet and a Growing Pawpaws publication also containing a list of nursery sources.
• The Pawpaw Foundation - Devoted to the advancement of Asimina triloba, North America's largest native edible fruit.

Pawpaw Events

• Ohio Pawpaw Festival - Pawpaw festival held annually in Ohio.

Pawpaw Fact Sheets and Guides

• Growing Pawpaws - Purdue University fact sheet
• Pawpaw Production - ATTRA Pawpaw production guide
• How to Hand Pollinate Pawpaws - Sometimes your Pawpaws need help with pollination
• North American Pawpaw - General information including a list of cultivars and descriptions
• Pawpaw Planting Guide - General information including a list of cultivars and descriptions cross-referenced with nursery sources

Pawpaw Sources Online

• Blossom Nursery - Nearly a dozen Pawpaw varieties available as small grafted trees shipped in the containers they were grown in.  Per their web site, prices include shipping.
• Burnt Ridge Nursery & Orchards - Five named varieties plus seedlings
• Nolin River Nursery - More than a dozen Pawpaw varieties available as small grafted trees in a number of sizes.
• One Green World - Not sure as their catalog is offline
• Peterson Pawpaws - Neal Peterson's pawpaw site - the originator and source of the "Susquehanna," "Shenandoah," and "Rapahannock" pawpaw cultivars.
• Raintree - More than a half dozen Pawpaw varieties available as small grafted trees in a one gallon size.
• Trees of Antiquity - A few select varieties shipped in containers