Pawpaw

by Andrew Moore

  HALVIN’S SIDEWINDER

  A selection from the wild by Tyler and Danae Halvin in Iowa. Cliff England reports: “Fruit is eight to fourteen ounces. Great flavor (very sweet, no aftertaste), has a hint of pineapple flavor. Original tree was growing as an understory tree and was approximately forty feet tall. Stated to be the largest native pawpaw fruit to be found in southwestern Iowa, not far from Bedford.”

  KENTUCKY CHAMPION

  Woody Walker describes the Kentucky Champion as “the Big Daddy” of the pawpaw forest. He discovered it in 2009 in Madison County. According to Cliff England, “It’s a good candidate for climates that are challenged for growing-degree-days. . . The seed-to-pulp ratio is good (about 8.3 percent). The skin is attractive and durable; it resists dark spots, bruising, and other discoloration. The pulp is firm and golden-orange in color with a melon-orange flavor and pleasant lingering aftertaste. It’s sweet with a subtle tartness that’s been likened to pineapple or raspberry.” This cultivar will have limited availability for the next several years.

  KSU-ATWOOD

  In 2009 KSU-Atwood became the first cultivar to be released from Kentucky State University’s breeding program. It is large, round, and mango-flavored. Ron Powell describes it as an “excellent-tasting and clean fruit,” with very little Phyllosticta. The fruit was selected at KSU’s research farm as a seedling from Maryland. “The release is named for Rufus B. Atwood, who served as president of Kentucky State College (now university) from 1929 to 1962,” KSU reports. “Fruit: greenish-blue skin, yellow-orange flesh, few seeds. Fruit size and flavor medium; averaging 120 g/fruit and 150 fruit per tree at KSU.”

  LYNN’S FAVORITE

  “An excellent-producing tree that bears heavy every year,” according to Ron Powell. “Thin, clean, smooth skin, not susceptible to Phyllosticta.” Won Best Fruit at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival in 2014. Selected from the Corwin Davis orchard. KSU reports, “Yellow fleshed, large fruit; ripens 2nd week of October in [Michigan].”

  MANGO

  Mango was a wild tree growing in Tifton, Georgia, and selected by Major C. Collins in 1970. KSU reports vigorous growth. Derek Morris says, “Fast growing and large tree, very productive with medium to mostly large fruits. Seed to flesh ratio is good. I note leaves slightly smaller than most others.” Jerry Dedon says, “It was real good . . . but that rascal will deteriorate fast. And I mean it will get just like a water balloon.” Reports from North Carolina indicated the same. However, these qualities may give Mango an advantage in processing: “Because of the rather large size, fewer seed[s] than many, and its softer flesh, [it] may be easier/quicker to pulp out,” Morris reports. And some do report that it tastes like mango.

  MARIA’S JOY

  A cross of Davis x Prolific made by Jerry Lehman of Terre Haute, Indiana. Won Best Fruit at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival in 2012. “An excellent-tasting fruit but not yet available in the trade,” says Ron Powell. Several cultivars from Jerry Lehman’s breeding orchard await release, perhaps including the perennial Largest Fruit winner at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival.

  MARY FOOS JOHNSON

  This cultivar was selected from the wild in Kansas by Milo Gibson. The seedling was donated to North Willamette Experiment Station in Aurora, Oregon, by Mary Foos Johnson. KSU reports, “Large fruit; yellow skin; butter-color flesh; few seeds; ripens first week of October in [Michigan].”

  NC-1 (OR CAMPBELL’S #1)

  Perhaps the most ornamental pawpaw tree. Its large leaves are a dark, near-blue green. Derek Morris reports fruits that resemble Overleese in quality, “being mostly large and rounded with great seed to flesh ratio and they maintain quality longer than many others.” However, it may not be as productive as other varieties.

  NC-1 produces quality fruit in the South, but is especially suited to colder climates, ripening in September in Ontario—very early for the northern regions. Which is fitting: A hybrid seeding of Davis and Overleese, it was selected by R. Douglas Campbell in Ontario, Canada, in 1976. Grimo Nut Nursery recommends NC-1 to its growers in colder climates. “Fruit has few seeds; yellow skin and flesh; thin skin; early ripening”—around the middle of September in Ontario and early September in Kentucky, KSU reports. “Fruit size large; averaging 180 g/fruit and 45 fruit per tree at KSU.”

  Ron Powell notes, “Leaves can become infected with Phyllosticta but the fruit does not split.”

  NYOMI’S DELICIOUS

  “Original trees grown in Berea, Kentucky and is a local favorite of the neighborhood,” reports Cliff England. “Light yellow fruit with no after taste. Very heavy producer of 10 to 12 oz. pawpaw fruit that are 4 to 6 inches long. Hangs in cluster of 4’s and 5’s.”

  OVERLEESE

  This cultivar, selected in the wild by W. B. Ward in Rushville, Indiana, in 1950, is a perennial favorite among backyard growers. “Oval to round, few seeds, excellent flavor, excellent for shipping, excellent taste,” Ron Powell reports, “[and] parent of many other improved cultivars,” including Peterson’s Shenandoah. Derek Morris says, “Exceptional quality medium to large fruits, early ripening. Medium productivity. Very good seed to flesh ratio and fruits maintain quality over a long time. This one is just as good, if not better, when skin turns dark . . . the flesh takes on a very rich butterscotch flavor and texture is divine—melts in the mouth.” Other reports suggest a melon aftertaste. KSU reports middle September ripening in Kentucky and first week of October in Michigan, “Fruit size large, averaging over 170 g/fruit and 55 fruit per tree.” Won Best Fruit at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival in 2011.

  PA GOLDEN #1

  Derek Morris reports, “Very productive variety, early ripening. Fruits are average to good but do not age very well and somewhat seedy. Small to medium sized, can display lots of skin yellowing when ripe.” Morris says PA Golden #1 is thought to be a great pollinating variety.

  There are four other PA-Goldens, each selected and introduced by John Gordon of Amherst, New York. According to Ron Powell, PA Golden #1 “is the cultivar that is sold in the trade as PA-Golden. These are all small fruit but my tree has produced up to sixty-five pounds per year. The fruit may at times have a bitter taste but otherwise is acceptable. Of the four, PAG #3 is the best. It is slightly larger and the appearance is the best as it has more tolerance to Phyllosticta. Still quite popular since it is also quite winter-hardy.” Jim Davis reports that this variety is an early producer at his Maryland orchard.

  John Gordon was an active member of the Northern Nut Growers Association starting in the early 1960s and made a number of pawpaw selections whose ancestry can be traced back to George A. Zimmerman. Gordon grew and selected many seedlings from the trees of George L. Slate of Cornell University, who had gathered fruit and seed from Zimmerman’s Fernwood estate in Pennsylvania.

  POTOMAC

  A Peterson Pawpaw selected as a seedling from the Blandy Experimental Farm. “Flavor sweet and rich,” Peterson reports. “Texture firm, melting, smooth. Flesh color medium yellow.” Ron Powell says that in the humid Ohio River Valley, Potomac is susceptible to splitting due to Phyllosticta. “Very large fruit,” he adds; “produces fruit over a pound.” KSU reports, “Extremely fleshy,” and approximately 4 percent seed by weight. “Fruit size large; averaging 235 g/fruit and 45 fruit per tree at KSU. Problems with fruit cracking some years.” Lee Brumley, of Indiana, reported growing a 28.64-ounce Potomac pawpaw (in the Spring 2011 Pawpaw Pickin’s newsletter). According to Mario Mandujano, research technician at Michigan State University, Potomac produces extremely large fruit but ripens too late for Michigan.

  PROLIFIC

  Morris notes that Prolific “has a unique dense texture, it almost has a chewy feel compared to others. Productive, late-ripening, fast-growing variety. Fruits are medium to large and, at least to me, have a slight coconut undertone but fruits usually leave a slight bitter aftertaste. Because of this (I suppose), I have had people in taste tests say they pick up coffee notes
in this one. Light yellow flesh.” KSU reports: “Large fruit, yellow flesh; ripens first week of October in [Michigan]. Fruit size medium at KSU.” Prolific was selected by Corwin Davis, near Bellevue, Michigan, in the mid-1980s.

  QUAKER DELIGHT

  Quaker Delight was found in the arboretum of Wilmington College by Dick Glaser, and won the Ohio Pawpaw Festival in 2003 for best flavor. According to Ron Powell, characteristics include: “creamy texture, light creamy color, medium size, fairly early—early September—and a light, mild flavor. It probably deserves to be propagated just as much as a number of older and even newer cultivars.”

  RAPPAHANNOCK

  A Peterson Pawpaw selected as a seedling from the Blandy Experimental Farm. In cultivation, under full sun, Rappahannock’s leaves grow upward, as opposed to the typical shingled downward habit of pawpaws in cultivation. KSU reports that this makes the fruit more visible under the canopy of leaves. Peterson reports firm flesh and sweet flavor, with only 3 percent seed by weight.

  Although Ron Powell and others have reported poor performance in the Midwest, growers in North Carolina and Louisiana have favorable reviews. Morris says, “Great quality, medium to large fruits, very productive, traits as advertised—low seed count . . . Fruit keeps well.” KSU reports, “This fruit typically exhibits a yellowish color break at picking stage . . . Fruit size small; averaging 95 g/fruit and 95 fruit per tree at KSU.”

  REBECCA’S GOLD

  Although this variety is often cited as small, Ron Powell says, “The largest fruit from my planting in Butler County, Ohio, came off of Rebecca’s Gold at over one pound. A good-tasting, very sweet, and soft fruit. When the fruit hits the ground, it usually is mush. Very thin skin. We attempt to pick the fruit before it hits the ground.” Selected from Corwin Davis seed, in Bellevue, Michigan, by J. M. Riley in 1974. “Medium sized fruit; kidney-shaped; yellow flesh,” reports KSU. “Fruit size medium at KSU.”

  SHENANDOAH

  A Peterson Pawpaws selection and seedling of Overleese, Shenandoah has been described as a “beginner’s pawpaw” for its mild flavor. Peterson says it was the clear favorite of customers at the farmers market in Washington, DC. “Smooth, custardy texture, with just the right balance of fragrance, sweet fruity flavor, and agreeable aftertaste,” he notes. KSU reports, “Fruit with few seeds”—approximately 7 percent by weight. “Fruit has creamy yellow flesh. Ripens in September in Kentucky. Fruit size medium-large; averaging 150 g/fruit and 80 fruit per tree at KSU.”

  Mario Mandujano says Shenandoah is his favorite: “With that one not only can I eat one, I can eat five or six.” And “Shenandoah is just incredible,” echoes Deep Run Orchard’s Jim Davis. Ron Powell says, “The best of Neal’s selections to grow in the Ohio River Valley since it is only slightly susceptible to Phyllosticta.”

  SUE

  A small to medium-sized fruit introduced by Don Munich from southern Indiana. “A very good-producing cultivar with very mild-tasting fruit,” reports Ron Powell. “No Phyllosticta issues. The fruit is very soft and thin-skinned. For those who do not like a strong-tasting fruit, this is the one to let them taste.”

  SUMMER DELIGHT

  According to Cliff England, Summer Delight is “just an average-sized pawpaw of eight to twelve ounces that absolutely tastes delicious, has a yellow-tinted skin that is thick, and ships and stores well. The remarkable thing about this pawpaw is that it ripens in the last week of July to the first week of August. Here in Kentucky, of all the cultivars we have, it is the first to ripen. It is not precocious and takes four to five years to come into production, but it is well worth the wait. In most years the fruit is on the ground long before you expect it to be. Summer Delight has a smooth-textured flesh, few seeds, and a melon aftertaste.”

  SUNFLOWER

  Sunflower was discovered in 1970, in the wild, near Chanute, Kansas, by Milo Gibson, and is one of few pawpaws reported to be self-compatible. KSU reports, “Large fruit; yellow skin; butter-color flesh; few seeds; ripens early to mid-September in Kentucky and first week of October in MI. Fruit size large; averaging 155 g/fruit and 75 fruit per tree at KSU.”

  Derek Morris reports that Sunflower “tends to grow more wide than tall.” Additionally, it produces the largest single fruit in Morris’s orchard each year. He says that although the flavor of Sunflower is generally very good, he has noticed a slight bitter finish in some of its fruits. “One other feature of this variety is that it is among the latest ripening, so late that growers in far northern areas may not get ripe fruit.”

  Morris adds that Sunflower “is the favorite among many growers and a variety I would not want to be without. It always ranks high in taste tests. It also has nice thick flesh/texture and relatively few but large seed[s]. It has been noted that seedlings from Sunflower make especially strong rootstock for those who want to do their own grafting.”

  Sunflower won Best Fruit at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival in 2006 and 2010. “It is one that I always recommend to growers,” says Ron Powell.

  SUSQUEHANNA

  A Peterson Pawpaws selection and seedling tree grown from the collection at the Blandy Experimental Farm. KSU reports, “Fruit has few seeds, very fleshy, medium yellow flesh; thickish skin; this variety is less fragile than most,” with few seeds, approximately 4 percent by weight. “Ripens late September in Kentucky. Fruit size large; averaging 185 g/fruit and 40 fruit per tree at KSU.” John Brittain reports, “Very large fruit, mid–late season ripening, moderate yields; very sweet rich flavor, firm buttery texture, few seeds.”

  “Those Susquehanna, they’re about the best,” says Alabama grower Dale Brooks. And Neal Peterson says, “Susquehanna is without a doubt my personal favorite—if I had to choose one.”

  SWEET ALICE

  Selected from the wild in West Virginia by Homer Jacobs of the Holden Arboretum, in Mentor, Ohio, in 1934. One of the oldest pawpaw cultivars that remains in the trade. KSU reports medium fruit size.

  TAYLOR

  Selected from the wild in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, by Corwin Davis in 1968. “Fruit: green skin; yellow flesh; ripens in September in Kentucky and 1st week of October in [Michigan],” reports KSU. “Fruit size medium; averaging 110 g/fruit and 70 fruit per tree at KSU.”

  TAYTWO

  Selected from the wild in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, by Corwin Davis in 1968, and sometimes spelled Taytoo. “Fruit: light-green skin; yellow flesh; ripens in September in Kentucky and 1st week of October in [Michigan],” KSU reports. “Fruit size medium; averaging 120 g/fruit and 75 fruit per tree at KSU.” Also an early producer in Jim Davis’s Maryland orchard.

  WABASH

  A Peterson Pawpaws selection; a seedling from the Blandy Experimental Farm. KSU reports: “Percent seed ~ 6% by weight. Texture medium firm, creamy, smooth. Flesh color yellow to orangish. Fruit size large; averaging 185 g/fruit and 65 fruit per tree at KSU. Problems with fruit cracking some years.” Although Ron Powell says Wabash is his choice of the six Peterson introductions, “I have found that it is difficult to graft and grow. A very good-tasting fruit but the plant is slow to produce fruit.”

  SAA-ZIMMERMAN

  “Selected as seedling from seed originating from G. A. Zimmerman collection by John Gordon, Amherst, NY, in 1982,” reports KSU. “Large fruit; yellow skin and flesh; few seeds.”

  ZIMMERMAN

  Selected in New York from George A. Zimmerman seed by George Slate. KSU reports medium-sized fruit.

  — APPENDIX 4 —

  PHOTO GALLERY

  A sliced pawpaw reveals vibrant-yellow pulp.

  Pawpaws are the largest edible fruit native to the United States. Photo by Scott Bauer, USDA

  Pollinated by flies and beetles, pawpaw flowers smell yeasty or fermented, like rising bread dough and red wine. Courtesy of Sue Ann Herald

  R Neal Peterson—aka Johnny Pawpawseed, the fruit’s longtime cham
pion—with a large cluster of fruit in his experimental orchard. Courtesy of Neal Peterson

  Asimina is the only larval host of the zebra swallowtail butterfly. Photo by Bob Peterson

  A comparison of wild and cultivated fruit.

  Jim Davis harvesting pawpaws at his Deep Run Orchard.

  “French custard, ready for serving, hung from the trees.” Walter Havighurst, 1946. Courtesy of Dennis Hager

  Jon looks for fruit in a grove of pawpaws in eastern Kentucky, a few miles from the state-line village of Paw Paw.

  Schooner, of Paw Paw, West Virginia, holds a record for most apples picked in a single day. His family is familiar with and fond of pawpaw apples—their term for the fruit.

  Ron Powell leads a grafting workshop at the Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association’s annual member meeting.

  Pawpaw cultivars are propagated by grafting. Pictured here are demonstrations of the whip-and-tongue (left) and chip bud (right) methods. Courtesy of Ron Powell

  Jerry Lehman inspects persimmons in his Terre Haute orchard.

  Paddling a chute of the Mississippi River in August with Mark “River” Peoples of Quapaw Canoe Company, hunting pawpaws.

  Paw Paw, Illinois, was originally the site of a Potawatomi village called Assiminehkon, or Pawpaw Grove.

  Zingerman’s Paw Paw Gelato in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  Pawpaw skin is thin and bruises easily, often darkening to black in just three days. The pulp, however, remains edible. Special Collections, National Agricultural Library

  NOTES

  PROLOGUE