“Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch”
“Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch”
Many of you know the lyrics to the above song but do you know anything about the pawpaw tree? The pawp
“Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch”
“Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch”
Many of you know the lyrics to the above song but do you know anything about the pawpaw tree? The pawpaw is the largest edible tree fruit native to the United States. It is the only temperate member of a new- and old-world tropical plant family (Annonaceae, Custard Apple family) that includes cherimoya and sweetsop. There are nine species of Asimina. The common pawpaw, Asimina triloba, has the greatest potential for commercialization. It is widely adapted with a native range from Florida to Michigan and as far west as Nebraska.
It is a common species in Virginia, found near waterways and low, moist draws in the mountain drainage areas. Though technically a tree fruit, it can stretch the accepted definition for “small fruit” by plant size due to its natural bush-like and suckering habit. In most situations it is easily trained into a single-trunk small tree, pyramidal in form, which can reach 15 to 20 feet in height.
Historically, pawpaw was a well-known and much utilized fruit in the eastern U.S. It was an important food crop for both Native Americans and early settlers. Today it is a local specialty, gathered in the wild by enthusiasts and grown by hobbyists in backyard orchards. Over the years, wild selections have been collected and named, and many of these cultivars (cultivated varieties) are now available through commercial nurseries as asexually propagated (grafted) stock.
In its ideal native habitat, pawpaw is characteristically found in the deeper, rich soils of river-bottom woodlands, growing in the shade as an understory tree. Because of root suckering, it usually forms clumps or thickets. Its leaves are long, drooping, dark green, and turn a brilliant yellow in the fall. The fruit (a true berry) may weigh up to a pound, is oblong to cylindrical in shape, one to six inches long, and one to three inches in diameter. Fruit is borne alone, or in multi-fruit clusters, which can resemble a “hand” of bananas, hence its common names: poor-man’s banana and Indiana banana.
It has a strong floral and fruity aroma and its flesh is creamy textured, usually bright yellow to orange in color. Typical of its tropical family, the flavor of pawpaw is best described as richly complex, a mixture of papaya, banana, mango, and pineapple. Flavor can vary greatly among selections, with sweetness and minimal aftertaste characteristics defining a high-quality cultivar.
The crop is well adapted to the Eastern U.S. climate and soil conditions. It is relatively free of insects and diseases. Pawpaw is adapted to humid temperate zone growing conditions. It is hardy to the USDA growing zone 5 (-20°F or -29°C), and needs at least 400 hours in annual chilling requirements (time exposed to 35° to 45°F during winter months, depending on the cultivar). This is a low chill requirement compared to other tree fruit species (apples 800 to 1,700 hours), and once met, the trees will begin to flower early in the spring. A long, warm season is required to 