How To Grow Pawpaw Trees From Seed

The pawpaw is a native fruiting tree which can be found in woodland thickets across the eastern US states.  The trees are often found together in woodlands as an understorey shrub and bear fruit which has been likened to custard, vanilla, banana and floral in flavor.  The fruit does not travel well making it something you might be able to get at a farmer’s market, forage for if you happen to live east of the Rockies or you can grow them from seed. In this post, I’ll share with you how to grow pawpaw trees from seed to add to your backyard garden or food forest.

This post contains affiliate links: I am grateful to be of service and bring you content free of charge. In order to do this, please note that when you click links and purchase items; in most (but not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to keep blogging to help you start homesteading and it doesn’t cost you a penny extra!

See Disclosure, Terms and Conditions for more information.   Thank you for supporting Misfit Gardening.

 

What Is A Pawpaw?

The pawpaw is known botanically as Asimina triloba and grows naturally east of the Rockies.  They are a small tree or large shrub and are found in small thickets and forests all over.  The plant grows well in semi shade and is gaining a lot of popularity in permaculture food forest designs as well as gardeners who are looking to grow hardy natives.  They are also the host plant for the zebra swallowtail butterfly and their young.

There are early, mid-season and late varieties of pawpaw and the fruit is gaining popularity with people and is already popular to birds and critters in the areas where the plant naturally grows.  The fruit is unusual in shape and forms in a cluster palm sized yellow-green to brown or spotted fruits which have a yellow-orange flesh and large dark brown seeds.

I was recently visiting Harrisburg on a business trip and before I flew back, I headed over to check out the Susquehanna River and some local sights like the Rockville Bridge and the Fort Hunter Mansion. Whilst checking out the sights and taking photos, I noticed a cluster of wild pawpaw trees baring young fruit!

These pawpaw trees were right next to the Susquehanna River and they were thriving on the deep, fertile and moist soil nestled right by the walkway near the playground among many other trees and plants all growing together.

Pawpaws are deciduous and will shed their leaves in fall.  They thrive in rich, damp, fertile soils with lots of humus and benefit from mulching to mimic their natural habitat.  They are a great fruit to add to your food forest because they tolerate semi shade conditions and produce palm sized fruits which can be very prolific once they are established.

 

Growing Pawpaw From Seed

There are early, mid-season and late varieties of pawpaw.  This means that they flower at different times and will need a second plant to pollinate with which will flower around the same time.  Like apples have different pollination partners, pawpaws are the same.  You can grow pawpaws from all 3 early, mid and late to extend your harvest times of the fruit so you can enjoy it for longer.

Pawpaw seeds must be kept moist to keep them viable.  If they dry out, they will not grow.  They also require cold stratifying by placing in a damp paper towel in a resealable bag and keeping in the refrigerator for 3 months to mimic the winter.  You can plant your seeds in fall and keep the container moist throughout winter too.

Pawpaws send out long, deep taproots first and need deep pots to start in.  Some gardeners recommend 5 gallon buckets or those plastic buckets which had kitty litter in them to grow the seeds in.  I started mine in 1 gallon containers to pot on into larger containers this fall.

Pawpaws are hardy zones 5 to 9 and will spread by producing suckers to form a thicket

Potting Soil

Since pawpaws grow in fertile soils you want to be sure that your potting mix to start them in is rich and able to retain water.  I used:

• 1 part coconut coir
• 1 part well rotted leaf mold
• 1 part mushroom compost

I made this blend specifically for my pawpaws to try and mimic the forest floor which is where the seeds would naturally sprout.  You need to keep your containers of seedlings moist to ensure that they will continue to grow.

The seeds are slow to germinate and will show a pinkish shoot which looks similar to a bean sprouting.  They can take more than 2 months to sprout even after they have been stratified.  Once sprouted, pawpaw seedlings need to be kept shaded for the first 2 years.  After that, they like a sunny spot which is protected from prevailing winds.

Related post: What To Do With Fall Leaves This Autumn.

Planting Pawpaw Seedlings (Saplings)

After your seedlings have been growing for 3 months or so, many gardeners advise feeding your young saplings with an organic fertilizer, I give my plants a little seaweed fertilizer that I make on the homestead once a month.

In the fall, your pawpaw saplings will lose their leaves.  Ensure they are somewhere you can reach them during winter to give them a bit of water during the dormant winter months and to prevent them from drying out.  When spring arrives and the soil is thawed you need to transplant your sapling pawpaws to a semi shaded location to grow before they begin to leaf.

The semi-shaded conditions are needed only for the first 2 years, afterwards the tree may be placed in full sun which is ideal for fruit production.

I plant trees as plant guilds in my food forest and manage that through careful pruning.  I would advise planting the pawpaws into a bigger, deep pot to keep in a semi-shaded area until they are 2 years old and able to tolerate full sun.

You can plant your pawpaw seedlings by digging a square hole that is twice as wide and twice as deep as the root ball of the pawpaw.  Since pawpaws have a long taproot, you need to loosen the soil deeper in the ground so your transplanted pawpaw can get established easier.  A garden fork works well to loosen the soil.  Pawpaws can be spaced relatively close together at about 5 feet.  This will help with pollination and mimicing the groves the plant naturally produces in the wild with it;s suckers.

Now your soil is loose, add plenty of well rotted compost and leaf mold and fork that into the loosened soil.  Plant your pawpaw tree carefully and fill around your plant with the soil from the hole.  Add a good layer of compost and mulch around your newly transplanted tree and water well.  Ensure that the tree never dries out whilst it is becoming established.

Growing Pawpaw Tree Tips

Once you have planted your pawpaw tree there are some ongoing care you will need to give it to ensure you get the best from these trees.

Pollination

A pawpaw’s flowers have both male and female reproduction parts but they are not self-pollinating. They need a genetically different pawpaw tree to pollinate with.  The flowers smell fetid, like rotting meat and as such, it is wasps, flies and beetles which can pollinate but the best way is to pollinate by hand. Male pollen is ripe when the ball of anthers is brownish in color.  Use a small paint brush to collect the pollen and lightly brush the female flower parts. The female part of the flower is ready for pollination when the tips are green, glossy and sticky.

Fruiting & Harvest

Pawpaws typically take 6 years to begin flowering if grown from seed.  This timing can be shortened if a grafted variety is grown.  If your hand pollination efforts have been successful, the fruit forms in clusters and can weigh up to 1 lb per fruit.  Heavy yields can break and need thinning out or, sturdy support to prevent the tree’s branches from breaking.  The fruit is ready August through to October depending if it is an early, mid or late variety you are growing.  

A ripe pawpaw can be picked from the tree if it “gives” to pressure.  Squeeze gently with your thumb and forefinger, if there’s give in the flesh, you can pick it.  Pawpaws do not ripen off the tree.  If it is picked too early, an unripe pawpaw will change color and darken but will never turn soft and sweeten.  Many foragers shake the tree, any ripe fruit will fall from the tree, however the fruit is delicate and will bruise easily.

Pawpaw fruit can be pulped and frozen and retains it’s flavor well.  The flesh ranges from white to orange and can be used to make wine, sorbet, ice cream and more.

 

Growing Pawpaw From Seed Summary

Use fresh seed wherever possible and do not freeze or allow the seed to dry out.  Seeds need to be stratified in the refrigerator on a damp paper towel in a sealed plastic bag for at least 3 months to mimic the winter.  Use a rich potting mix to start your seedlings in and ensure that the container does not dry out.

Pawpaws need a deep container to grow in and need to grow in semi-shade for the first 2 years.  Afterwards that may be planted in a sunny location where they can flower and produce fruit.  Pawpaws must be cross pollinated to produce fruit and may be pollinated by hand to increase yields from poor pollination.

Always keep your pawpaw trees moist in well drained soil, add compost around the trees in spring and mulch with leaves in fall.  The fruit ripens from August to October and grows well in zones 5 through 9.  It is resistant to deer and experiences few pest and disease problems.

Why do you want to try growing this fruit in your homestead garden?

If you liked this post please take a moment to share it using the share buttons below or pin the image below to Pinterest and save it for later and join us over on YouTube to get to know me and my homestead in the suburbs or join the Facebook group for live Q&A, advice and support on homesteading or learn how you can get more tips and tricks by signing up for my newsletter.

As remuneration for running this blog, this post contains affiliate links. Misfit Gardening is a participant in Affiliate or Associate’s programs. An affiliate advertising program is designed to provide a means for this website/blog to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to websites offering products described in the blog post.  It does not cost you the Reader anything extra. See Disclosures, Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy for more information.