Pawpaw is a native, large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree that slowly forms thickets or small colonies, providing good cover for a variety of wildlife and reaching 15-30’ tall. Dark purple flowers emerge with the leaves in April/May and delicious, edible fruits ripen from July to September, attracting many mammals (humans along them) including squirrel, fox, opossum, and raccoon. Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. A great selection for naturalizing or in damp areas along ponds and streams. Tolerant of black walnut trees.
Pawpaws produce both male and female flowers but the flower is designed not to be self-pollinated. In addition, pawpaw trees are self-incompatible, usually requiring pollen from a genetically different tree in order to be fertilized. Finally, the natural pollinators of the pawpaw--various species of flies and beetles--are not efficient or dependable. Planting seedlings close together (5-10 feet apart), hand-pollinating, and attracting their natural pollinators (flies and beetles, not honeybees) are common suggestions for improving fruit production of native Pawpaw.
Our vendor (Alpha) grows/sells seed propagated plants (not cultivars), so customers will receive genetically different seedlings that should also contain a mix of male and female plants. This is part of the reason we sell them in bundles of 5. Of course, it is still possible that someone could receive only all males or all females. Seedlings are 2 years old, and our vendor estimates fruiting range to begin at 4-8 yrs.
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