{"id":10130,"date":"2021-09-09T12:02:54","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T12:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farmandanimals.com\/?p=10130"},"modified":"2021-11-29T15:38:30","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T15:38:30","slug":"how-to-find-pawpaw-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farmandanimals.com\/how-to-find-pawpaw-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Find Pawpaw Trees?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to North America. It is a taste sensation with tropical fruit flavors reminiscent of banana, papaya, mango, and pineapple. You may well wonder why it doesn\u2019t appear on the shelves at your local grocery store; quite simply, its shelf life is too short, and the fruits bruise easily. The solution, to find Pawpaw trees and pick the fruit yourself, and to help you with that, we will be looking at how to find pawpaw trees in this article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Pawpaw Tree?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"how<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pawpaw was said to be President George Washington\u2019s favorite dessert, but many people have never seen, let alone tasted one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pawpaw tree\u2019s Latin name is Asimina Triloba<\/em>, and there are mentions of them in documents written by the first explorers of North America as far back as 1541. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pawpaw is related to soursop and cherimoya, being a member of the custard apple family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Pawpaw trees are native to the United States, many varieties have also been cultivated by arboriculturist\u2019s to improve the tree\u2019s qualities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tree is relatively small, reaching only 20 feet in height. It is deciduous, losing its leaves during fall and growing new leaves each spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deep red-brown flowers have an unpleasant smell attracting flies and other insects. For the fruit to set, it requires cross-pollination from different trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fruits start to appear during early summer and ripen between late August and October, according to variety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fruit of the Pawpaw tree is green, with some varieties turning to a greeny-yellow when ripe. It has an elliptical shape and grows in clusters, a bit like bunches of bananas. In fact, it is sometimes referred to as the \u201cwild banana,\u201d \u201cWest Virginia banana,\u201d \u201cHoosier banana,\u201d<\/em> or \u201chipster banana,\u201d <\/em>among many other nicknames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Native Americans have long enjoyed the delights of Pawpaw fruit. More recently, it has gained the interest of researchers due to its high nutritional value and anti-disease and insecticidal properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Can You Find Pawpaw Trees?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trees can be found in much of the eastern United States<\/a>, stretching from southern Ontario to northern Florida and as far west as eastern Nebraska. In all, they are indigenous to 26 states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can purchase young Pawpaw trees and seeds from online retailers, and you may also find the trees available at some plant nurseries and garden centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do Pawpaw trees Grow Naturally?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To find a Pawpaw tree, you\u2019ll probably have to go for a walk in the woods. They are understory trees growing below the main canopy and like to inhabit hardwood forests with fertile soils. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young trees are particularly sunlight sensitive and prefer shade, while larger trees need more light. They can often be found on the periphery of forests or in areas with gaps in the forest floor, allowing more sunlight to penetrate the canopy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trees prefer a slightly acidic, well-drained soil and can often be found close to streams or river beds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pawpaw trees are very disease and insect-resistant in comparison to other fruit tree species. This makes them of particular interest to organic farmers as they are not plagued with the same challenges of not using pesticides. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Identify a Pawpaw Tree?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Identifying a Pawpaw tree is relatively simple<\/a>; if you know what to look for, let\u2019s take a closer look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foliage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The leaves are oblong, narrow at the base, then broadening towards the tip before coming to a point at the end. They droop in a downward direction, giving a tree in full leaf a very distinctive appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leaves are between 5 and 11 inches in length and 2 to 3 inches in width. They are a rich green color through spring and summer, turning yellow in fall. If crushed, they smell of green pepper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flowers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Pawpaw flowers appear in spring and contain both male and female reproductive organs that mature at different times to avoid self-pollination. Because each flower has several ovaries, it can produce more than one fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The color of the flowers varies and can be a deep red-brown to purplish-brown. They have a broad bell shape and are one to one and a half inches wide with six petals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flies and beetles are the primary pollinators of the flowers, which have a rancid meat fragrance to attract them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fruit<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In shape, the fruit resembles small green mangos. They are often seen in clusters and look a little like short, dumpy bananas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some varieties, the fruits stay green even when ripe, while in others, they take on a yellow-green color as they ripen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fruit has a pleasant sweet smell, although it seems that taste varies and appears to be better in locations with warmer summer climates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Squirrels, birds, and other small animals enjoy feeding off the fruits and, in doing so, disperse the seeds helping to grow new colonies of Pawpaw tree. Humans should avoid eating the seeds, however, as they can cause digestive upset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the fruits are fully ripe, they have a soft custardy flesh inside the skin and a taste similar to a mixture of banana, pineapple, and mango.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pawpaw Tree Bark<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The bark of the Pawpaw tree is brown and smooth with wart-like splotches called lenticels. These appear as pale gray patches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lenticels help with the gas exchange between the internal tissues of the tree and the outside atmosphere. This allows for various metabolic processes, including respiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a natural insecticide in Pawpaw tree bark that helps protect it against insect pests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The branches and twigs of the Pawpaw start growing near the base and spread out up the tree\u2019s trunk. They point upward, reaching for sunlight in more shaded locations, but where they can reach greater light exposure, the shape is more open, with branches reaching outwards and drooping down when in full leaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twigs are a red-brown color and have brown-purple buds in early spring. The tree\u2019s limbs are quite flexible and break-resistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this video, you can see how to find and identify a Pawpaw tree and its fruit as well as some other foraging edibles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xjlTLl22OuQ<\/a>