pawpaws

Seedling trees. Bare root 1 year old seedlings 4 to 8 inches tall. It requires at least two genetically distinct individuals for cross-pollination. The more, the better.

Broad River select seedlings: Seed is selected from healthy trees in a large patch within the Broad River floodplain habitat. Trees at this location produce larger-than-typical wild fruit in abundance on an annual basis. The image above is a representative sample of fruits. I visit this patch every year to forage fruits.

KSU cultivar seedlings: These seedlings are grown from seed of mixed cultivars that originated from the well-known and well-established pawpaw breeding program at Kentucky State University.

Ron Powell cultivar seedlings: These seedlings are grown from seed that originated from cultivars in the orchards of pawpaw grower/breeder Ron Powell.

Jerry Lehman cultivar seedlings: These seedlings are grown from seed that originated from cultivars in the orchards of pawpaw grower/breeder Jerry Lehman.

Pawpaw trees require good shade for the first two or so years of life, and after being well-established, can withstand direct sun exposure. However, I recommend keeping an eye on transplants of any age if planted in a sunny exposure. Re-establishment of the root system of pawpaw trees after transplanting can take some time, and providing a means of temporary shade can prove beneficial. I have achieved this using cages and row cover, stakes and bean crates, and by growing them beneath trees or shrubs or that are intended to be cut down or removed once the pawpaws are well-established and can handle the sun exposure.

Plant details:
Genus & species: Asimina triloba
Hardiness: Zone 5 to zone 9
Sun: Will grow in shade as an understory tree, though good sun exposure is required for fruit
Soil type: Prefers deep, fertile loam
Soil moisture: Moist, well-drained