Hillbilly mango.
Hipster banana.
Custard apple.
Pawpaws are so complex, their common names show their range as a native, yet surprisingly tropical, fruit.
As summer fades into fall, it’s prime time for pawpaws in Lancaster County and beyond. Eric Burkhart, director of Penn State’s Appalachian Botany and Ethnobotany Program, shared more about finding and enjoying pawpaws.
READ: Make a fall container garden, take a pawpaw hike: 118 things for plant fans to try in September
Pawpaws grow in the understory next to the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail.
ERIN NEGLEY | Staff Writer
Where to find pawpaws
Communities throughout Appalachia harvest pawpaws around this time of year. The common pawpaw (asimina triloba) grows in an even wider region stretching from the mid-Atlantic to eastern Texas as well as southern Florida. In Pennsylvania, pawpaws usually grow south of I-80, with some sightings in the norther tier.
Pawpaws prefer growing in the forest understory. They’re adaptable but prefer shade and moist soil.
In Lancaster County, pawpaws grow throughout the Susquehanna riverlands, in places such as the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail, Turkey Hill Nature Preserve and Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve plus sites such as Steinman Run Nature Preserve, Shiprock Woods Nature Preserve and Lake Grubb Nature Park.
Pawpaws grow along the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail.
ERIN NEGLEY | Staff Writer
How to identify pawpaw trees
To find pawpaw trees in the forest, look for their large, tropical leaves.
The leaves branch from the stem in an alternate pattern, not opposite. The leaf edges are smooth, not jagged. The leaves widen towards the tip, ending with a Hershey kiss point.
There are plenty of look-alikes, including hickory (which has jagged-edge leaves in an opposite pattern), black walnut (which has opposite pattern leaves), poison ivy (which has clusters of three leaflets) and pokeweed (which has berries that ripen to dark purple).
The bark of pawpaw trees is smooth and silver-gray with dots or bumps called lentecils, which allow the tree to pass gas.
Matthew Beziat via Flickr
Earlier in the spring, pawpaw flowers hang like bells. They bloom in pale green and deepen to maroon as they open. The flowers have a faint yeasty smell, helpful to attract beetles and flies, which are needed for pollination.
READ: A perennial favorite for tours, this Lancaster city garden is rooted in history
Pawpaws grow at Shiprock Woods Nature Preserve.
ERIN NEGLEY | Staff Writer
How to find pawpaw fruit
Not all pawpaw trees produce fruit.
A pawpaw patch might have many trees, but none will produce fruit if they’re clones or genetically identical.
To create fruit, at least two genetically different pawpaw trees are needed. The tree doesn’t self-pollinate, so an insect or gardener needs to move the pollen as well.
So, how do you know if trees will produce fruit? Other than seeing clusters of fruit on the tree, there isn’t an easy way to spot a diverse group.
Pawpaws grow at Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve.
ERIN NEGLEY | Staff Writer
Can you harvest pawpaws and when?
It depends. On state game lands, picking pawpaws is OK.
You can take pawpaws from state parks and state forests but not more than “reasonable amounts for personal or family consumption.”
You can’t pick plants on county property.
Outside of public land, Lancaster Conservancy asks people not to take pawpaws from its preserves. Photographing, sketching, smelling or observing wildlife on pawpaw trees are allowed.
When you find pawpaws you’re allowed to pick, make sure to harvest at the right time. Typically, the fruit doesn’t ripen when picked early. Instead of becoming soft and custard-like, it will stay hard and not develop its full flavor.
There are a few ways to know when it’s time to harvest.
You should be able to smell the fruit’s tropical notes.
Ripe pawpaws will fall from the tree. On the branch, they’re ripe when they feel similar to an eggplant. The ripening window is short, so check daily.
READ: The plants in the viral Waterlily Weigh-Off have roots at Longwood Gardens
SUZETTE WENGER | Staff Photographer
What can you do with pawpaw fruit?
Pawpaws will only last a few days, even refrigerated. Enjoy what you can now. Freeze or preserve the rest for later.
Online, some people report drying or dehydrating pawpaw can cause gastrointestinal problems.
The menu at past York County Pawpaw Festivals has included things like pork with pawpaw chutney, ground beef with pawpaw salsa, vegan pawpaw curry, grilled cheese with chutneys, pawpaw bubble pudding, pawpaw cookies, pawpaw ice cream and ice pops, pawpaw hot sauce and there also have been pawpaw cocktails and pawpaw beers.
Want seasonal gardening articles and tips sent to your inbox weekly? Sign up for our Gardening newsletter here.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Comments are closed.