How Do You Grow A Common Pawpaw?
The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is usually remembered for the nursery rhyme, but this small tree deserves a bit more respect. Pawpaw has drooping leaves and fruit that give the tree a tropical feel. Fall foliage in shades of yellow to yellow-green add interest. The pawpaw is most often grown for its creamy fruit. Plant a pawpaw and soon you will be, “picking up pawpaws, puttin’ ’em in your pocket.” Read on to learn how to grow healthy pawpaws. Select the planting site. Pawpaws prefer rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soil. Pawpaws will not grow in constantly wet soil. For the first year or two after transplanting, the pawpaw should receive filtered light. Seedlings will not survive in full sun. Once the tree is established, it will thrive in full sun. Prepare the shrub for planting. Seedling trees should be planted in spring. Pawpaws can be purchased from nurseries balled-and-burlapped, bare-root or container grown. Container grown trees are reported to have the best transplant success.
