Merriweather and Lewis' Corpse of Discovery discovered them when they went up the Mo River on the way west.

I found my first pawpaws when I was around 11. I really liked the smell, but didn't like the taste. Every year, I would eat a few, at various stages of ripeness. The nearly black ones tasted the best, but not really good.

My friend Don belonged to the Pawpaw Society. He had a version that got much larger, that had proportionately much less seed mass, that tasted good. His trees grew in full sunlight and were wide and short. You could pick the fruit off the trees. All of the other pawpaw trees I have seen were tall and skinny and had no reachable fruit. As kids, one of us would shake the trees and the rest of us would try to catch the pawpaws as they dropped. I wonder if the full sunlight made the fruit taste better, if it was a better variety, or both.

Don offered me pawpaw and wild plum trees, of which he had 6 varieties. I regret not taking him up on his offer before he died.

Keith

If you are going to plant wild pawpaws, they prefer shade. I have a huge on in my yard which I planted in the shade, but 4 years ago, my neighbor cut all of his trees down, opening up the canopy of my pawpaw to full sun in the afternoon. I thought that the tree would have filled out more towards the new available sunlight. It did just the opposite. All of the side branch's still in the shade of a large bald cypress grew laterally by several feet. The top of the tree became spindly.
This particular pawpaw tree is now large enough to be in contention for being the State of Virginia Champion Pawpaw Tree. I just need to have someone from the Society to come out and officially measure it.

They're a bit hard to find in my neighborhood. The bears eat them before the humans get them locally.

I can’t picture anyone eating enough to notice any side effects. Worst thing I’ve ever tried. But in these parts they are good indicator for ginseng so they aren’t all bad lol

I don't recall seeing any at the grocery store

I wonder if they can be froze so a person can make good use of them.

They'd be good in fruit smoothies

There are some sunflower & taytwo varieties that do ok in Zone 4.

You aren't going to going to see them in a regular grocery store, it's a specialty item. Hence the retail price cathryn can get for them. It's a bit of an exotic fruit. Exotic fruit isn't intended to taste good, it's something different to break up the monotony of everyday food.

Now when you pick a paw-paw
Or a prickly pear
And you prick a raw paw
Next time beware
Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw
When you pick a pear
Try to use the claw
But you don't need to use the claw
When you pick a pear of the big paw-paw
Have I given you a clue?

shelf life on pawpaws is only a few days. I do freeze pulp for later use.

I've sold all qe had for today too. There's a very short time they're good.

I had a lady from TN message m wanting seeds.

She offered me 1.50 each seeds and is paying shipping g.

I'm averaging 75 each..some are big.

So jot as many in a bag

.

Paw paws are a sub-tropical fruit that has adapted to the temperate zone. It's thought that humans spread them north over the millennia so that their native range now extends all the way up to Michigan.

The U. of Nebraska had an experimental orchard of paw paws that I visited in 1985. They were planted in full sun and doing great.

Carl, were the pawpaw trees planted in full sunlight, short and wide?

Keith

This is a great thread, Cathryn! Thank you!

Sold out again today.

Pawpaw seeds..what $13.50 looks like.lol

LOL, as I run back.out to the Compost pile.
Mashed some up today, froze pulp, tossed seeds.

I'm throwing money away!!!

If anyone has extra pawpaw seeds to share, please feel free to post to post them on the plant and seed exchange thread at the top of the page.

https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthr...thorized-plant-seed-exchange#Post7957662

Keith

LOL You would make a lot more just selling the seeds.
9 seeds for $13.50 , that's not all the seeds out of two paw paws.
Post on the market place , there's where I see people selling them.
It's on face book.

It was out of ten 2 iate.lol

Thank you for the link

I've heard rumor of folks making mountain dew out of them.