The Native Papaw

Someone on the NAFEX list forwarded on this link to an online version of an old USDA pamphlet on pawpaws:

The Native Papaw (University of North Texas)

Nothing to do with Fruit

The following article has nothing to do with fruit:

Budding Talent (TimeOut Magazine)

So why is it here? Take a look at the author's first name...

It's the genus name of pawpaw!

I'm probably the only person in the world who thinks that's cool, but that's one of the fringe benefits of having your own blog.

Periodic Pawpaw Piece

Every six months or so, some element of the mainstream press rediscovers pawpaws. This time it's the Washington Post:

In Pursuit of the Elusive Pawpaw

Anybody out there ever tried to germinate pawpaw seeds? I haven't, but I've tried my hand at cherimoya seeds (same family, Anonaceae), and they're a pain. The article's suggestion to "just to scatter the seeds of several varieties informally, cover them with mulch and see what seedlings emerge" made me wonder how likely that is to be successful...

Alternative Fruit Crops Field Day

Now I realize most of you aren't anywhere remotely near this (I'm not) but I just came across this and thought I would share the info. Apparently on August 3th there's an Alternative Fruit Crops Field Day at the Fruit Experiment Station of Southwest Missouri State University (I've heard they're just Missouri State now? Anyone know if this is the case? I think the URL is changed, too...). They'll be talking pawpaws, elderberries, persimmons, and assorted odd Prunus, and if you happen to live nearby, this is a good opportunity to learn more about these things.

PDF of the flier

Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch...

Speaking of fruit articles in the mainstream press, I just noticed that today's USA Today has a most-of-a-page article on pawpaws! It's not exactly a comprehensive treatise on the subject, but it's nicely done, and a big surprise considering the paper it's in.

I was also pleased to see the mention, with a link, of Peterson's Pawpaw's, an effort which in many ways has been the private counterpart to the impressive Kentucky State Pawpaw program. Neal Peterson has done a lot to preserve and promote the pawpaw, and I'm embarrassed to say, completely slipped my mind when I wrote my earlier pawpaw article.

Something Rotten in Kentucky

Quick—What's the largest tree fruit native to the United States?

If you answered, say, "apple", "pear", or "peach", you're wrong. They're all too small and too Asian. If you said something like "the redwood", then you may have just missed the word "fruit" in the question.

The answer is a fruit few of us have actually seen, and even fewer of us eat on any regular basis: the pawpaw. I'm refering to the genus Asimina, by the way. Confusingly, outside of North America, the name "pawpaw" is applied to what Americans call a papaya (the name "pawpaw" is likely a corruption of "papaya", which itself comes from the Arawak word, "papáia".)

The pawpaw is the sole temperate member of the family Annonaceae, which features a number of other fruit species even less well known in this country, such as the atemoya, cherimoya, soncoya, sugar apple, soursop, and biriba. There are nine Asimina species native to the U.S., most of which are found only in the extreme southern areas of the country, mostly Florida. Two of them though, A. triloba and A. parviflora, are found in temperate regions, and it is A. triloba which has traditionally been viewed as the crop species.

A. triloba is a small, deciduous tree with large leaves, usually standing about 20 feet tall at maturity (though considerably taller specimens exist). The flowers are small and inconspicuous, appearing before the plant has fully leafed out for the year. Fruit are often borne in clusters of up to six fruits, but the exact number is highly depended on pollination. The fruit are roughly five inches long, and turn from green to yellow-black as they ripen. The flesh is white to yellow, and there are several large seeds in each fruit.

The texture and flavor have been compared to that of an overripe banana (hence the name "Poor Man's Banana") or to custard. I found it to be sweet and very distinctive, but not much like either bananas or custard. Pawpaws don't really keep well, bruising and decaying readily, a trait that has no doubt contributed to the lack of commercial production.

The thing I love about pawpaws, to be honest, is how some folks pollinate them. Like many fruit species, pawpaws are self-incompatible, and require another pawpaw of different genotype as a pollen source. Unlike most fruits with this problem, however, pawpaw flowers don't appear to appeal to bees. Some growers will hand pollinate, to assure a good crop, and while this is perhaps the most effective option, I prefer Plan B: rotten meat. It seems flies are the preferred agents of pollination for pawpaws, and what better way to draw a lot of flies to your pawpaw grove than a big heap of rotten meat. I may not be a fan of the fruit, but any crop that involves rotten meat in its standard culture is okay by me.

After years of mostly being ignored by academic research, the pawpaw is enjoying a bit of a renaissance. In 1993, Calloway stated the need for increased research efforts, particularly in expanding the germplasm resource, noting that only 19 cultivars were available. Calloway had instituted a pawpaw research program at Kentucky State University in 1990, which he handed off to Kirk Pomper in 1998. Thanks largely to the efforts of that program, there are now over forty cultivars available, and an ever expanding body of research on the breeding and cultivation of the species. KSU is still the only institution with a dedicated program for pawpaw studies, but the USDA maintains a germplasm program there and a handful of other universities maintain small projects supporting pawpaws, including Cornell. Interest in the crop is on the upswing, particular among hobbyists and backyard growers. Organic farmers are also interested in the native fruit because it can be grown without sprays (there are a few pawpaw diseases out there, but these are mostly minor and infrequent).

Pawpaws occur naturally all the way from Canada to south Florida, and thus should do well in most areas. So, if you're looking to add a little native flavor to your orchard, or an attractive ornamental to your yard, or just have a lot of old meat sitting around, maybe pawpaws are for you.

Update: It's been pointed out that the Kentucky State University program doesn't use the rotten meat strategy, and thus the title is probably inappropriate. But I can't think of another title, and I like this one, so it's staying.