We have been thinking of purchasing a pair of paw paw trees for our small orchard. Also called the 'Michigan banana', it's listed in the Miller Nursery catalog. (Cananadaigua, NY) The description reads that these are hardy from zones 4-8 and we are on the border of zones 5&6. This fruit is not available in stores in our area. Has anyone ever tasted this fruit or grown the trees? We'd appreciate any advice-good or bad. Thanks

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), January 12, 2002

Answers

We bought property with many paw paws growing wild this fall. We won't taste the fruit until this season.

We are hoping the reports are true about their taste.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.

There are several Paw-Paw trees in the woods next to me. They have a strong overripe banana flavor. The area where the trees are is swampy and has dense cover. That is two things the trees like along with not being disturbed (wind, lawnmowers etc.) They are not a strong tree so wind protection is essential. Find someone who has trees and taste the fruit before you try raising them. Good luck.

-- Dave (drcomer@rr1.net), January 12, 2002.

hey i have a big woods by our house and it has many pawpaws in it i have never tasted one the dang coons get them for i can i would love to try one and am thinking about moving 1 or2 closer to the house

-- marie (jolly_old_goat@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.

My 7 year old is raising a pawpaw but he's over 60. heheheheheeh

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.

I sell paw paw trees 3 for 12.99 shipping included. These are 18 to 24 inches tall and a lot better than you will find at most nusereys. They are strait and healthy. Email me if your interested,Chuck

-- Chuck Lowe (woodsnwater62@aol.com), January 12, 2002.

We have pawpaws on our land in southern Ohio. I just ate my first ripe pawpaw fruit last fall. They have a strong sweet flavor and a sticky, custardy texture. We like them. The seeds are big but easily removed.

Pawpaws grow as an understory tree at my place but I read that you can grow them as orchard trees too. For that you have to grow them in a sheltered location (such as under other trees) for the first couple of years and then move them - but we have not tried this.

-- Scott McAlpine (scottmcalpine@juno.com), January 13, 2002.

Wow, a tree that was made to planted on my homestead!!! We're loaded with swampy woods here and it's rather tough to find anything that will grow in shady muck! Does anyone know if they tolerate acidic soils well? My swamp is all cranberry bog and hemlock swamp. (And yes, I live here on purpose...I love my swamp!)

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), January 13, 2002.

I have some small ones coming on you can have if you are close to West cantral Indiana. They like loose sandy soil but I have never seen them growing in swampy soil.

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), January 13, 2002.

My mother found Paw Paw trees growning in the mountains near her house in the Ozark mountains last summer. I have not tasted the fruit by itself, but she made bread similar to bananna bread that was delicious and also some wine, but I don't know how that turned out yet.

The plant itself appears to be fairly fragile and also does not bear consistently.

-- John (sothpaws@yahoo.com), January 14, 2002.

There is a guy living here in SE Ohio that has devoted his life to growing and marketing PawPaws. I went to one of his seminars and actually had a pawpaw dacquiri...it was delicious! I've only used them in milkshakes and in banana nut bread recipes.

-- Harmony (harmonyfarm57@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

my grandpa lived in town and had 2 trees in his backyard. they are real good but i have eaten then for over 50 years. they do taste a lot like a banana. never tried to make bread out of them but bet it was good. erlene

-- erlene (erlene@mcleodusa.net), January 15, 2002.

Paw paw! In some places they are know as food fit only for 'puarka and palangi' (pigs and white folks) but I like them. Get them before they are too ripe and pour lime (maybe lemon would be ok) juice on the flesh. I know a dog which spent every available minute lying under a paw paw tree waiting for the overripe ones to fall!

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), January 16, 2002.

They grow wild around here. There are some down by the river.

-- Patricia Ramsey (WOOLSPIN@AOL.COM), January 16, 2002.

for info on paw-paws try,

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/pawpaw.html

nurseries,flavors,sizes,polinators, bearing ages,websites, you name it!

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), January 18, 2002.