The Paw Paw (Asimina triloba) is a temperate fruit tree native to 26 states across the eastern US, known for its unique flavor profile. This fruit has seen a resurgence in interest among home growers and fruit enthusiasts. Acquiring a Paw Paw tree requires attention to specific horticultural details to ensure the plant thrives and produces its signature custard-like fruit. Understanding the best sourcing options and the tree’s biological needs is the first step toward a successful planting.
Sourcing Options: Finding the Right Nursery
The availability of Paw Paw trees largely depends on the type of vendor you choose, with each offering distinct advantages in selection and format. Specialized mail-order nurseries are often the best source, providing the widest selection of grafted, named cultivars, which are necessary for predictable fruit quality. These online specialists frequently ship trees as dormant, bare-root stock during the optimal planting windows of early spring or late fall.
Local independent garden centers or retail nurseries may carry Paw Paw trees, typically container-grown stock, which can be easier to handle immediately after purchase. While convenient, the selection at these local outlets is often limited to a few common cultivars or generic seedlings. A third avenue is purchasing from university or agricultural extension sales, which sometimes offer regional cultivars that are well-adapted to the local climate, though these sales are seasonal and highly sought after.
Critical Requirements Before Buying
The single most important biological consideration before purchasing a Paw Paw tree is the necessity of cross-pollination to ensure fruit set. Paw Paw trees are generally self-incompatible, meaning they require pollen from a genetically distinct tree to produce fruit. Simply planting two trees is not enough; the trees must be two different cultivars or two genetically unique seedlings.
It is highly recommended to purchase two distinct named cultivars, such as ‘Shenandoah,’ ‘Susquehanna,’ or ‘Allegheny’. Named cultivars are propagated by grafting a scion of a superior-fruiting tree onto a seedling rootstock, ensuring the quality of the fruit is true to the parent tree. Seedlings, while less expensive, produce fruit of unpredictable quality and may take longer to bear, making two named, grafted varieties the most reliable choice for the home grower.
Choosing the Right Tree Format and Timing
Paw Paw trees are typically sold in two formats: bare-root or container-grown, and the choice affects both the cost and the planting process. Bare-root trees are usually more economical and ship easily, making them a staple of mail-order nurseries. These must be planted immediately upon arrival, generally in the early spring before bud break, while the tree is still fully dormant.
Container-grown trees offer greater flexibility, as they can be planted throughout the growing season, though spring planting is still preferred. While container stock is less prone to initial transplant shock, it is often more expensive and heavier to transport. Both formats should be purchased during the dormant season—late fall or early spring—to minimize stress, as planting during the heat of summer can be detrimental to the tree’s establishment.
Ensuring Successful Transplanting
The Paw Paw is difficult to transplant successfully due to its fleshy, brittle root system, which has few fine, fibrous hairs for water absorption. Root disturbance must be minimized, especially with bare-root stock, which should be soaked in water for a few hours prior to planting. The planting hole should be dug two to three times wider than the root mass but only as deep, ensuring the root flare is at or slightly above the surrounding soil level.
Young Paw Paw trees are sensitive to direct sunlight and require temporary partial shade for the first one to two years after planting. Providing 30% shade cloth or planting near a structure that offers afternoon protection is advised. Thorough initial watering is essential to settle the soil, followed by applying a two-to-four-inch layer of organic mulch, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk to retain moisture and suppress competing weeds.