# Paw paws



## MRocks (Aug 31, 2007)

I've always wanted to taste paw paws and today I got the chance. I was duck hunting along a creek and noticed the fruits hanging from a tree in the bank. I was surrounded by paw paw trees. I grabbed all the fruit I could reach. Unfortunately I found it when I got home that most of them were unripe and paw paws don't ripen once they're picked. Fortunately I did found a few that were ripe. What a fantastic, rich flavor! It's a combo of strawberry, kiwi, mango, vanilla and candy. I harvested a number of seeds to see if I can grow them in my yard.


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## Plumman (Feb 11, 2013)

Ive never seen anything like that over here on the eastside of michigan. What part of the state do you find them in?


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## ReallyBigFish (May 8, 2014)

Awesome! Great find. I want to grow some at my place too. They used to be native here from what I've read. I want to try them too. Never had the chance.


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

Paw paws seem to be more abundant than people think. The reason they can get overlooked easily is because they are very finicky about producing fruit. They often don’t. 

I had some success transplanting some young trees to my place last winter. Will do a couple more this winter.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Very cool! Always wanted to try them and when @2PawsRiver lived on the river named after the fruit, always meant to ask him if he knew where there were trees.

You’ll need moist soil and multiple plants as they don’t self pollinate.

https://gardenerspath.com/plants/fruit-trees/grow-pawpaw/


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

You can pollinate them yourself with a paint brush. If you want a lot of fruit you better. You can have thousands of trees and no fruit.


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

A little tid bit, when the pioneers settled in Michigan they found if they destroyed the Paw Paw trees they would not have the Indians around in the fall to harvest them!


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

The Paw Paw is a bit of "It" tree right now and is becoming quite popular all around the east coast for landscaping, etc.

Kentucky State University is I believe the leading center for studying the species, which has an ever increasing amount of improved cultivars developed for human use of the fruit. They have a website but my particular browser isn't getting along with it right now. Not hard to find via an Internet search.

There is a Paw Paw festival down in Athens, OH, I would like to attend some day, but it is in late September which is an incredibly busy time of year for me, so that might be a minute.

I would like to try the fruit some day but am never able to be inside the range of the tree at the right time. It does grow in Michigan, with collections as far north as the southern part of Newaygo County. I have yet to luck into finding one, personally.

I have worked with the species a fair amount in the south eastern states on tree planting projects. I liked the seedlings, much like Yellow Poplar, Paw Paw has a unique characteristic - the root systems smell nice. I used to plant them basically 3 at a time each only a foot apart, in hopes that would some day improve their pollination success. I did that twice on sites in Ohio, that I hope to visit some day.


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

In southern Michigan they aren’t uncommon.


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## Kristine1 (Feb 2, 2015)

MRocks said:


> I've always wanted to taste paw paws and today I got the chance. I was duck hunting along a creek and noticed the fruits hanging from a tree in the bank. I was surrounded by paw paw trees. I grabbed all the fruit I could reach. Unfortunately I found it when I got home that most of them were unripe and paw paws don't ripen once they're picked. Fortunately I did found a few that were ripe. What a fantastic, rich flavor! It's a combo of strawberry, kiwi, mango, vanilla and candy. I harvested a number of seeds to see if I can grow them in my yard.
> View attachment 589499


Very cool! I planted a few on my land this year. Hopefully one day I can pick some!


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

OH-YEAH!!! said:


> Very cool! Always wanted to try them and when @2PawsRiver lived on the river named after the fruit, always meant to ask him if he knew where there were trees.
> 
> You’ll need moist soil and multiple plants as they don’t self pollinate.
> 
> https://gardenerspath.com/plants/fruit-trees/grow-pawpaw/


There is a big grove of them south of you at Hamilton west of the bridge. I use to get the ones on the ground in early fall every year.


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

Does anybody know a good seed source? I did try to plant them one time but I am a little more knowledgeable and would like to try again.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

Chessieman said:


> Does anybody know a good seed source? I did try to plant them one time but I am a little more knowledgeable and would like to try again.


Some time ago I saw an add on the internet where someone is southern Mich was raising them as plants to sell. This was a while ago but maybe worth a try. They have real big seeds in them.


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## ReallyBigFish (May 8, 2014)

Scout 2 said:


> Some time ago I saw an add on the internet where someone is southern Mich was raising them as plants to sell. This was a while ago but maybe worth a try. They have real big seeds in them.


Pretty sure there is a nursery in Owosso that sells the trees. Not sure about seeds.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

ReallyBigFish said:


> Pretty sure there is a nursery in Owosso that sells the trees. Not sure about seeds.


I think that is the one. If I remember right they were going to try and raise them and sell the paw pas on the market. E Bay has seeds and seedlings but like anything else you don't know if they will grow


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

I think Coldstream had small ones. I will have to check were I bought those seeds, I have Giberetic Acid already so that is one step up this time.


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

Morse in Battle Creek sells trees last I knew. Been awhile.


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## cedarlkDJ (Sep 2, 2002)

OH-YEAH!!! said:


> Always wanted to try them and when @2PawsRiver lived on the river named after the fruit, always meant to ask him if he knew where there were trees.


It's kind of like giving up your favorite morel mushroom place these days.
We used to bring them home for Mom when we were kids who would make Pawpaw bread with them, much like banana bread. One time a neighbor brought a bushel basket full of Osage orange fruit over for her. He said they were just lying all over the ground next to the road. I think I heard her mumble “dumb-ass” as he walked away.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

cedarlkDJ said:


> It's kind of like giving up your favorite morel mushroom place these days.
> We used to bring them home for Mom when we were kids who would make Pawpaw bread with them, much like banana bread. One time a neighbor brought a bushel basket full of Osage orange fruit over for her. He said they were just lying all over the ground next to the road. I think I heard her mumble “dumb-ass” as he walked away.


Is the Osage orange poisonous?


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## cedarlkDJ (Sep 2, 2002)

OH-YEAH!!! said:


> Is the Osage orange poisonous?


It's not edible. The wood doesn't rot and was made for fence posts in the old days. Native Americans used it for their bows and arrows. Great firewood too, just not a lot of big stuff.


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