Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,437
- Reaction score
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- USDA Zone
- 5b
For what it is worth, I have a number of Pawpaws Asimina triloba, growing, from seed and a big "Pawpaw Patch" in the woods on the Michigan farm. For me, they are a fruit tree. Will never be an economically saleable fruit, no plan to commercialize it on the farm, but I love the fruit for a late season treat.
Pawpaw are lousy candidates for bonsai. They really hate their roots being pruned. The bark is smooth even on very large old trees. They tend to be ram rod straight, with few or no bends. They dislike living in containers. They need shade while young, yet need to be in part sun to full sun to get fruit. Their tolerance for sun goes up as they age. Leaves are huge, and don't reduce to "bonsai size" very easily. They have a coarse branch structure, that will resist efforts to get ramification. In my opinion, grow them as a fruit tree, either in the ground, or in a large pot, but there are many, many trees that are easier to turn into bonsai. In my opinion, one of the finest tasting fruit available, I like them better than tree ripened peaches. Won't be commercial because fruit bruises so easy, and has to be soft ripe before attempting to eat. Add the complication that unripe or insufficiently ripe fruit have a chemical taste that will put you off pawpaws forever if you mistakenly bite one, you can see how it would be difficult to build a commercial market for them. Flavor is a blend of pineapple, caramel, vanilla, mango, and custard. Each tree has its own flavor profile, and one of those flavors will be more forward than the others. Very interesting fruit.
Below is nephew, at 14 years, showing his delight in pawpaws. In real life he does not have 3 arms. Though there are other things about him that "ain't quite natural" Wonderful kid, today is about 24 and a vagabond musician.
Pawpaw are lousy candidates for bonsai. They really hate their roots being pruned. The bark is smooth even on very large old trees. They tend to be ram rod straight, with few or no bends. They dislike living in containers. They need shade while young, yet need to be in part sun to full sun to get fruit. Their tolerance for sun goes up as they age. Leaves are huge, and don't reduce to "bonsai size" very easily. They have a coarse branch structure, that will resist efforts to get ramification. In my opinion, grow them as a fruit tree, either in the ground, or in a large pot, but there are many, many trees that are easier to turn into bonsai. In my opinion, one of the finest tasting fruit available, I like them better than tree ripened peaches. Won't be commercial because fruit bruises so easy, and has to be soft ripe before attempting to eat. Add the complication that unripe or insufficiently ripe fruit have a chemical taste that will put you off pawpaws forever if you mistakenly bite one, you can see how it would be difficult to build a commercial market for them. Flavor is a blend of pineapple, caramel, vanilla, mango, and custard. Each tree has its own flavor profile, and one of those flavors will be more forward than the others. Very interesting fruit.
Below is nephew, at 14 years, showing his delight in pawpaws. In real life he does not have 3 arms. Though there are other things about him that "ain't quite natural" Wonderful kid, today is about 24 and a vagabond musician.
