Author Topic: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN  (Read 7555 times)

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Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« on: October 14, 2013, 10:42:51 AM »
I'm always on the lookout for pawpaw trees, so it goes without saying that on our recent trip to Gatlinburg, TN, my eyes were peeled.

We hiked over 6 miles in the mountain woods (Newfound Gap to The Jump Off) without spotting a single A. triloba.

The next day while we were strolling along the Vegas-style Gatlinburg strip, my daughter and I decided to ride the "Skylift," a leisurely ski lift that takes you up the moutainside and back down again.
On the way down, 100 yards or so from the bottom, I happened to look down at some landscaping behind the Gatlinburg Inn.
20 feet below us stood a pair of pawpaws among some other random bushes and rocks.

Once we got off the lift, I grabbed Mr. Caimito and we went down Maple Lane, beside the Skylift, then crossed into the Gatlinburg Inn parking lot. From there, we had to hop a little stone wall to get into the garden where the pawpaws were. There were no warning signs or anything, even though we were directly below the ski lift.

We inspected the 2 trees. They were healthy by all accounts, about 10 feet tall and full of leaves, some of which were turning golden. We stuck our heads into the foliage, looking for fruit on the undersides of the branches. Sadly, there was no fruit to be found. Of course, it's quite late in the pawpaw season, so it could be that the fruit was gone or perhaps they never fruited anyway.

The trees surely were planted intentionally, given their location among a landscaped area in an "urban" setting.

I guess if we ever return to Gatlinburg we'll have to check on the trees to see if they've fruited. And now any forum member who visits this tourist trap of a town will know where to find the trees!


Sanddollarmoon

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2013, 12:01:19 PM »
Wow, amazing! Some people have all the luck!  ;D I have been scouring my several acres of forest here in Smithville, TN for pawpaw, but with no luck. I have found persimmons, muscadine, and wild physalis, and many other stange plants, but it seems pawpaws are avoiding me. I have, however, found a 1.5' seedling at the edge of our property that looks something like an annona, might this be pawpaw?

« Last Edit: December 28, 2015, 03:29:46 PM by Sanddollarmoon »

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2013, 12:46:50 PM »
Wow, amazing! Some people have all the luck!  ;D I have been scouring my several acres of forest here in Smithville, TN for pawpaw, but with no luck. I have found persimmons, muscadine, and wild physalis, and many other stange plants, but it seems pawpaws are avoiding me. I have, however, found a 1.5' seedling at the edge of our property that looks something like an annona, might this be pawpaw?
It's hard to tell from the picture but it does look annona-ish. There are what I consider some "false-positive" pawpaws out there though.

The main things I looked for until I got the hang of it:
  • Alternating leaves
  • "paddle-shaped" leaves where the base is narrower than the tip/end
  • Smooth bark
  • crushed leaves smell like green bell peppers
  • several trees/saplings close together (due to the clonal nature of pawpaw)
The pawpaw impersonators have leaves that look similar but are not alternating.

Now that you're a Tennessean, don't forget to be on the lookout for the State Wildflower, Passiflora incarnata!

plantlover13

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2013, 01:10:29 PM »
Also remember, there are many triloba species...

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2013, 04:10:12 PM »
Also remember, there are many triloba species...

I think you meant Asimina species - but yes, that is correct.  However, triloba is the dominant species in our area while the other species are more uncommon and have different geographic distribution, if I understand correctly. :D

plantlover13

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2013, 04:37:16 PM »
Oh, yeah, sorry :-[

LEOOEL

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2013, 08:41:20 PM »
Wishing you lots of good luck in your PawPaw hunting, very exciting, and thanks for the very nice pictures.
'Virtue' should be taught, learned and propagated, in order to save others and oneself.

Sanddollarmoon

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2013, 09:46:36 PM »
The leaves smell like pea pods. What might this mean? BTW this tree is unique to the forest, there are no older specimens to observe. I may as well dig it up while it is young, and eliminating surrounding competition.

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2013, 10:23:14 AM »
Wishing you lots of good luck in your PawPaw hunting, very exciting, and thanks for the very nice pictures.
Thanks!!

The leaves smell like pea pods. What might this mean? BTW this tree is unique to the forest, there are no older specimens to observe. I may as well dig it up while it is young, and eliminating surrounding competition.

Hmm you've got me on that one. .. . if you are able to post a less up-close picture I could probably tell you if it's a pawpaw or not, but beyond that I'm probably no help! :D

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2013, 04:59:06 PM »
You may find out if your sapling is a pawpaw after you transplant it - they hate to be dug up. The best way to propagate them is by seeds planted in tall pots.

In my limited experience with this species, local wild seedlings always grow better than named cultivars BUT the flavor the named varieties is far superior. I just ate some purchased from a farmer's market that tasted just like Cherimoya, rich, sweet and tropical.

Thanks to my sloppy gardening, my yard is covered with Passionvine and the fruits are dropping right now. In a good year they can taste as rich as any of the tropicals. This year they are a bit mild (we never got very hot) but still good. You have to wait for them to drop on the ground to get the most flavor.

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2013, 05:07:05 PM »
You may find out if your sapling is a pawpaw after you transplant it - they hate to be dug up. The best way to propagate them is by seeds planted in tall pots.

In my limited experience with this species, local wild seedlings always grow better than named cultivars BUT the flavor the named varieties is far superior. I just ate some purchased from a farmer's market that tasted just like Cherimoya, rich, sweet and tropical.

Thanks to my sloppy gardening, my yard is covered with Passionvine and the fruits are dropping right now. In a good year they can taste as rich as any of the tropicals. This year they are a bit mild (we never got very hot) but still good. You have to wait for them to drop on the ground to get the most flavor.

Good info! I've never personally tried the "maypop" passion fruits yet, but there are some near our church parking lot that I've been keeping an eye on. I wasn't 100% sure when to harvest them - someone said not until after the first frost . . .

plantlover13

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2013, 05:26:42 PM »
Do these "maypop" passion fruits taste any good? i may decide to plant a pawpaw, then plant a maypop around it if they are decent eats.

fyliu

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2013, 05:29:38 PM »
Do these "maypop" passion fruits taste any good? i may decide to plant a pawpaw, then plant a maypop around it if they are decent eats.
They taste like a mix of pineapple and banana to me. I got my seeds from Horizon Herbs. You do need more than 1 to get fruit. The fruits will fall off readily when ripe, or you can tell my the smell.

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2013, 10:00:46 PM »
Always plant at least two different varieties of Pawpaw, for pollination.
Har

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2013, 12:52:24 AM »
Always plant at least two different varieties of Pawpaw, for pollination.

Guanabanus, did you read the post by edself in another pawpaw thread? He claims pawpaw is self pollinating, just like cherimoya. He claims it's a myth that 2 varieties are needed. He's got some proof as he hand pollinated from just one plant and got fruits.
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=7570.msg97562#msg97562
« Last Edit: October 17, 2013, 12:56:41 AM by fruitlovers »
Oscar

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #15 on: October 17, 2013, 01:15:35 AM »
I'm always on the lookout for pawpaw trees, so it goes without saying that on our recent trip to Gatlinburg, TN, my eyes were peeled.

We hiked over 6 miles in the mountain woods (Newfound Gap to The Jump Off) without spotting a single A. triloba.

The next day while we were strolling along the Vegas-style Gatlinburg strip, my daughter and I decided to ride the "Skylift," a leisurely ski lift that takes you up the moutainside and back down again.
On the way down, 100 yards or so from the bottom, I happened to look down at some landscaping behind the Gatlinburg Inn.
20 feet below us stood a pair of pawpaws among some other random bushes and rocks.

Once we got off the lift, I grabbed Mr. Caimito and we went down Maple Lane, beside the Skylift, then crossed into the Gatlinburg Inn parking lot. From there, we had to hop a little stone wall to get into the garden where the pawpaws were. There were no warning signs or anything, even though we were directly below the ski lift.

We inspected the 2 trees. They were healthy by all accounts, about 10 feet tall and full of leaves, some of which were turning golden. We stuck our heads into the foliage, looking for fruit on the undersides of the branches. Sadly, there was no fruit to be found. Of course, it's quite late in the pawpaw season, so it could be that the fruit was gone or perhaps they never fruited anyway.

The trees surely were planted intentionally, given their location among a landscaped area in an "urban" setting.

I guess if we ever return to Gatlinburg we'll have to check on the trees to see if they've fruited. And now any forum member who visits this tourist trap of a town will know where to find the trees!


False, are not pawpaws , the paw paw is like a palm in first place, second, the paw paw produce fruit all time here and too should do it in you region to the days of autum, that begin to dead for cold .

Also, the pawpaw need temperatures of 27 c or more costant , you should try to plant andean papayas, babacos or vasconella species, this resist the continental climate , of secure.

Here, this image is a regional pawpaw

Camile
« Last Edit: October 17, 2013, 01:47:42 AM by cgps »

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #16 on: October 17, 2013, 01:35:51 AM »
Camile, big confusion. In USA pawpaw is Asimina triloba, which is in annona family. Carica papaya is called papaya, not pawpaw.
Oscar

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #17 on: October 17, 2013, 01:51:33 AM »
Camile, big confusion. In USA pawpaw is Asimina triloba, which is in annona family. Carica papaya is called papaya, not pawpaw.

Oh, I am sorry :-[ that error :-[

In search I find this, not know why but well, really am sorry this error :-[
« Last Edit: October 17, 2013, 01:55:49 AM by cgps »

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #18 on: October 17, 2013, 09:07:30 AM »
Camile, big confusion. In USA pawpaw is Asimina triloba, which is in annona family. Carica papaya is called papaya, not pawpaw.

Oh, I am sorry :-[ that error :-[

In search I find this, not know why but well, really am sorry this error :-[

No problem! "Papaya" and "Pawpaw" are apparently etymologically related, per Wikipedia:

"The common name of this species is variously spelled pawpaw, paw paw, paw-paw, and papaw. It probably derives from the Spanish papaya, an American tropical fruit (Carica papaya) sometimes also called "papaw", perhaps because of the superficial similarity of their fruits."

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #19 on: October 17, 2013, 12:41:50 PM »
Camile, big confusion. In USA pawpaw is Asimina triloba, which is in annona family. Carica papaya is called papaya, not pawpaw.

Oh, I am sorry :-[ that error :-[

In search I find this, not know why but well, really am sorry this error :-[

No problem! "Papaya" and "Pawpaw" are apparently etymologically related, per Wikipedia:

"The common name of this species is variously spelled pawpaw, paw paw, paw-paw, and papaw. It probably derives from the Spanish papaya, an American tropical fruit (Carica papaya) sometimes also called "papaw", perhaps because of the superficial similarity of their fruits."

thank you, that is the asimina triloba hmm ::),well, I have that search info about the plant, interested me
« Last Edit: October 17, 2013, 12:43:49 PM by cgps »

Sanddollarmoon

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #20 on: October 17, 2013, 06:45:16 PM »
Here is the whole plant:

As I said, it is a seedling, so there is not much go on.

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #21 on: October 17, 2013, 10:00:11 PM »
Here is the whole plant:

As I said, it is a seedling, so there is not much go on.

Ahhhh I see. Not much indeed. But it doesn't look like Asimina triloba to me :(

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #22 on: October 18, 2013, 12:27:00 AM »
Thank you, FruitLover, for directing me to Ed Self's statements on Pawpaw's not being self-incompatible.  I shall stop repeating that mantra about needing two varieties to get fruit.
Har

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Re: Pawpaw Hunting - Gatlinburg, TN
« Reply #23 on: October 20, 2013, 09:08:46 AM »
Here is the whole plant:

As I said, it is a seedling, so there is not much go on.

Ahhhh I see. Not much indeed. But it doesn't look like Asimina triloba to me :(

Sanddollarmoon- I think what you have there is a Blackgum seedling. (http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/nysy.htm) I saw several older specimens on a hike yesterday: