Pawpaw is a beloved native fruit tree which is common in understories of lowland areas. It produces large edible fruits with a yellow custard-like pulp. Many compare the taste to papaya, apple, banana, kiwi, and mango. It does not grow true to seed, so every pawpaw tastes differently. Pawpaw sends out many clonal stems and requires pollination from a nonclonal pawpaw to be properly fertilized. It is the northernmost species in the tropical plant family Annonaceae, or the soursop family. Additionally, it is an evolutionary anachronism – its large seeds evolved for extinct megafauna such as mastodons, mammoths, and giant ground sloths. The reason pawpaw has the extensive range it currently does is due to indigenous people enjoying its fruit and intentionally spreading it. Despite this fact, it is considered a threatened species in the wild in New York State due to development and habitat loss.

Pawpaw is a valuable source of food to opossum, raccoon, fox, squirrel, and human alike. It is the sole larval host of the zebra swallowtail butterfly, and recent conservation efforts in Pittsburgh have led to pawpaw’s being planted extensively for these remarkable butterflies. Recently, there has been considerable interest in planting pawpaw as a source of harvestable fruit. Otsego County is just beyond the northern end of its natural range and so pawpaw is not found in the wild in our County. However, it is likely pawpaw can survive here if special care is taken, noting that cultivation of pawpaw is recommended between hardiness zones 5 – 9, and all of Otsego County is hardiness zone 5a – 5b. We recommend reviewing the Cornell Cooperative Extension guide on growing pawpaw in New York attached to the webpage under “Plant Information”.

We are excited to offer this long-asked-for tree, and hope that careful cultivation might further extend its range Northward and provide a new, yet ancient, food source to the people and wildlife.