Pawpaw

Pawpaws are sometimes referred to as the Michigan banana. They grow on trees that look tropical with their large exotic leaves. The kidney shaped fruit usually weighs in around a half pound but some varieties can weigh up to a pound. The fruit even tastes tropical. Some are reminiscent of banana while others might taste a bit like papaya.

The trees take longer to mature to fruit bearing age than most other fruit trees. The might need up to five years before they bear their first fruit. However once the tree comes into full maturity it can produce 25 to 50 pounds of fruit each year!

A mature tree is 15 to 20 feet high and sprawls out to roughly the same size. Papaws need cross pollination from a compatible variety. A reputable supplier will note these for you.

Planting location is very important for pawpaw trees. While the trees appreciate full sun, they also do poorly when planted in an exposed location. Their large leaves tend to catch the wind and straight line winds can cause a great deal of damage. In fact I recently had two trees that I planted at the edge of a field completely destroyed by a mid-season wind storm!

For this reason alone it is probably best to plant Pawpaws in the middle of your orchard or in a location that is less likely to see straight line winds. For example where I live straight line winds tend to come from the West or Northwest. The pawpaw trees would probably have lived had I planted them in a location that was buffered by other trees or had an eastern exposure. As straight line winds rarely come from the east where I live.

Growing zone: 4 to 7

Time to maturity: 5 to 7 years

Pollination needs: Pawpaws need cross-pollination by another variety with beneficial traits.

Pruning/Thinning: Pawpaws naturally train themselves to central trunk. However early in their lives it might be good to stake them for added support.

Harvest time: Most ripen between mid-September and early October.

Pawpaws are somewhat rare in that you can actually harvest the seeds, replant them and get a viable tree which will be strong enough to produce fruit. The seeds need to be dried and kept in a cool location 39 degrees or colder, for a period of 3 to 4 months.

You can start them in a 1 gallon planter filled with potting soil and lined by burlap. The sapling can then grow in the 1 gallon of soil for the first year. The next spring you can wait until the soil has warmed up and all threats of frost have passed before transplanting the sapling. Simply pull the burlap out of the planter and set it in the hole, over time the roots will pass through the mesh of the burlap as the fabric decomposes.

Pawpaw saplings grow very slowly at first so you will have to be patient. Once they are three years old they should behave like any other sapling fruit tree.

Long term storage options: Pawpaws don’t keep for long in a root cellar. Just like peaches they can be frozen so long as they are peeled, halved, seeded and rubbed with lemon juice. Then store them in vacuum freezer bags for up to 6 months.

Pawpaw wine is a rare treat. Usually you can only find it in Lower Michigan. However since the trees tend to produce such a large amount of juicy fruit, even a modest number of trees can make you the talk of the county fair and farmer’s market!