paw-paw planting (asimina triloba) outdoors in Pennsylvania

[brian]

I live in the upper native range of paw-paw trees, though I have never seen one and my uncle who is an amateur orchardist says he's never seen one either.  I ordered ten 1yo trees and twenty seeds.  I planted most of the saplings randomly out in the woods and around a stream to see if any survive.  I also started germinating the seeds with great results so far. 

I am thinking of planting two in my yard near my other temperate stone fruit trees.  Any idea how long these take to reach maturity?  They seem like they must be slow growing as the 1yo trees I got are quite small compared to 1yo cherimoya trees I've grown myself.  Also, can they take 100% full sun?

[Jaboticaba45]

Yes,
can take full sun.
Can also take full shade.
I planted on in 100% shade about 8 years ago and it has grown 2 feet in that timespan.
Talk about gains!

[growinginphoenix]

I planted on in 100% shade about 8 years ago and it has grown 2 feet in that timespan.

Has this tree fruited? I expect I'll need to plant my seedling in a lot of shade to keep it alive in my climate. Not sure it would ever fruit though...

[ben mango]

hi Brian. They will do fine there. My mom has a few trees in kennett that fruit every year. From graft, in full sun they can fruit in 3-4 years. Also very attractive , tropical looking tree

[NickD]

I live in the upper native range of paw-paw trees, though I have never seen one and my uncle who is an amateur orchardist says he's never seen one either.  I ordered ten 1yo trees and twenty seeds.  I planted most of the saplings randomly out in the woods and around a stream to see if any survive.  I also started germinating the seeds with great results so far. 

I am thinking of planting two in my yard near my other temperate stone fruit trees.  Any idea how long these take to reach maturity?  They seem like they must be slow growing as the 1yo trees I got are quite small compared to 1yo cherimoya trees I've grown myself.  Also, can they take 100% full sun?

I've seen some growing wild here in Ontario, which is a few degrees colder than Western PA. I also know of a guy who grows them in Manitowoc and has been getting fruit on them since a couple years ago. I planted some in my yard in Zone 5 this spring, so we'll see how they do. I've read from seed they take 6-10 years to fruit. I think they're slow growing for the first couple years but pick it up around the 3rd-4th year.

[NickD]

Yes,
can take full sun.
Can also take full shade.
I planted on in 100% shade about 8 years ago and it has grown 2 feet in that timespan.
Talk about gains!

hi Brian. They will do fine there. My mom has a few trees in kennett that fruit every year. From graft, in full sun they can fruit in 3-4 years. Also very attractive , tropical looking tree

So you guys have had success without shade cloth?

I've seen many people warn that they need some shade while still young, but I've been skeptical of that, especially in my climate and if they're hardened off properly. It rarely gets above 85F here, and almost never gets above 90F, with moderate summer sun angles (69deg at solar noon on Jun 21) and frequent partially cloudy weather even in summer (about 50% cloud cover in an average summer month), so heat and sun stress should be less of an issue compared to elsewhere.

I have some seedlings I've been growing in deep pots, and they're now on their second year and have been in full sun since summer 2023 and seem fine, albeit slow growing.

[ScottR]

I've been growing paw paw's for over twenty years and at the start when first planted in ground small grafted tree's I kept circle of shade cloth around tree for first year then following year open to morning sun then next year full sun and all seedling and grafted young trees doing fine now in full sun.

[Nick C]

I’m starting to think they will start to decline if left in full shade over time. These trees have been in the ground for 15+ years and seeing more and more lower branch die back every year. Even being big trees these are still somewhat understory trees to some pines and chestnuts

[NickD]

Here are some photos from a wild pawpaw grove in Ontario. They're fairly under-story like here, and quite old. Not much leaves on lower branches and not much fruit. Not sure how much the lack of fruit has to do with them all being clones (pollination issues) or lack of sunlight.











Most of the foliage below 10ft in elevation is from young suckers, the more mature trees mostly had leaves only higher up.

[brian]

Thanks, guys.  I am thinking I will plant two of the nicest looking sapling in full sun in my yard, and the rest of the saplings and sprouted seeds in the woods randomly.  We'll see which does best.

Lots of deer all around.  I understand they dislike paw-paw but I might cage the best ones anyway.

[elouicious]

Thanks, guys.  I am thinking I will plant two of the nicest looking sapling in full sun in my yard, and the rest of the saplings and sprouted seeds in the woods randomly.  We'll see which does best.

Lots of deer all around.  I understand they dislike paw-paw but I might cage the best ones anyway.

They do great in full sun, we have one in Z5 in MI, needs no deer protection but the squirrels do go for the fruit like mad once they realize what they are

[brian]

Thanks.  Surprisingly few squirrels here because many foxes around. 

[Jaboticaba45]

I know the KSU pawpaw orchards I think are in full sun.
Full shade is detrimental for fruit production and growth.
partial sun is good too.
Normally they are understory trees anyways.
But more fruit yield with more sun.

[NickD]

Thanks, guys.  I am thinking I will plant two of the nicest looking sapling in full sun in my yard, and the rest of the saplings and sprouted seeds in the woods randomly.  We'll see which does best.

Lots of deer all around.  I understand they dislike paw-paw but I might cage the best ones anyway.

I've had two out of my four seedlings damaged by something this spring. One got the entire top of the plant chopped off (leaving it without any leaves), and the other had one of the two branches with leaves chopped off. I'm suspecting rabbits. I recommend caging any valuable pawpaw seedlings until they're bigger.

[brian]

Today I visited the nearby Jenkins Arboretum, which I heard has a paw-paw tree, to see if it has any fruit.  Indeed there is a tree, and it is fairly large with the largest trunk about 6in diameter and many weedy watersprout trunks.  The leaves are already yellow, and I couldn't find any trace of fruit on the tree or anywhere on the ground near it.  Maybe I am too late in the season for it?  The photos on the arboretum website show fruit, I assume they are from this tree and not a stock photo.  I only saw this one one tree, though, maybe it isn't really fruiting and it needs a partner for pollination.  Also, I would say this tree is in at least half shade as the arboretum is basically a woods.

Meanwhile, all of the small pawpaw seedlings I purchased when I started this thread have died.  This spring I found a couple of larger pawpaw seedling at a nursery that already had 1/2in diameter trunks and planted them in nearly full sun in my yard.  One seemed to stuggle a bit, the other looks very healthy as the growing season ends.

[smitchell7]

They seemed to grow like weeds in my grandfather's backyard in CT 6b. He had an absolutely massive tree, trunk diameter must have been almost 2ft until he passed and the owners who bought it chopped it down, super unfortunate. It gave hundreds of fruit every year. The roots are definitely invasive as well, shoots come up from its roots and you'll have to constantly mow them down. But you do need at least two trees for fruit or you're wasting your time.

Otherwise its definitely a hidden treasure of North America, and it's taste doesn't make it feel like it belongs here. Very similar to cherimoya.

[ben mango]

it is too late for paw paw in Pa now. Usually ripe in September. There is a paw paw fest in York county every year it’s in mid Sept. https://hornfarmcenter.org/pawpawfest/

[brian]

Can they fruit while pruned to a reasonable size? 

Ben, thanks for the information.  I am going to set my reminder to check out the Jenkins tree in early September next year, or if I'm feeling adventurous take a trip out to the York festival to get the sure thing

[Daintree]

I kept mine in part shade when they were in pots, but they are in full sun now, and we are high desert with an altitude of 2,800 ft. They were slow the first couple of years, but are about 10 ft tell now and fruiting. I keep them pruned down so I can reach the fruit. We do flood irrigate, which they love.

Carolyn