The banana of the north Pawpaw TREES

By Pam Baytos

OSU Extension master gardener volunteer

The pawpaw (Asimina tribola) is the native fruit of Ohio.

Many things about the pawpaw seem improbable to our state.

Foremost are their long, drooping, spear-shaped leaves and the funny, yellow-green tropical fruits whose taste is so unlike most temperate zone delicacies which make them well worth cultivating.

Hardy pawpaws have strayed northward from the tropics and found a home in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys.

They grow wild from New York to Florida and as far west as Nebraska.

They usually grow in thickets, for they have a habit of sending up suckers from their roots.

They need rich, moist soil and partial shade.

They’re not easy to transplant.

Thus, a ball-burlapped specimen is the safest purchase for planting.

When planting trees, space them 8 feet apart, water well for a few weeks and give each tree a starter fertilizer of 20-20-20 during the early part of the growing season.

The pH needs to be just above 5.0.

Pollination can be a limiting factor in pawpaw fruit set.

The flowers are protogynous, meaning the stigma ripens before the pollen, eliminating self-pollination.

Two different genetic varieties are required for cross-pollination.

Be forewarned that the beautiful maroon blossoms have an unpleasant smell, which may further explain its delayed cultivation.

Bees and insects show little interest in pawpaw flowers.

The natural pollinators are flies and beetles, thus hand pollination is sometimes required.

It’s a favorite host of the zebra swallowtail butterfly whose larvae feed on the leaves.

Recommended cultivars include Overleese and Sunflower.

Their odd fruits do look something like stubby bananas, but ripe pawpaws are full-bodied, with flavors hinting of vanilla custard, pineapple and mango.

They look and taste tropical, but are hardy to -25‚∞F.

These fruits are high in protein, antioxidants, vitamins A and C and several essential minerals.

Their high nutritional value exceeds that of apples, peaches and grapes.

The odd-shaped fruit with its mottled skin make it a hard sell to consumers who don’t know the custardy sweetness that lies beneath the exterior.

Pawpaws don’t travel well and they have a short shelf life (2-3 days at room temp.)

They will last in the refrigerator for one week.

Be adventurous, plant some pawpaws and enjoy your own supply of this wonderful fruit.

OSU Extension has a Pawpaw resource center (factsheets, presentations and research) at go.osu.edu/pawpaw.