Paw paw varieties for zone 9a?

[disc4tw]

Hi Jamie! There are a few threads here that discuss growing pawpaws in Florida. Some of the information is more helpful and relevant than other bits. Long story short, if you have the right soil, I think it could be done.

A southern California Pawpaw patch

Most of what you have read about needed chill hours in pawpaws is simply wrong. There are a lot of myths that have grown up about pawpaws that are simply not fact. There has long been a myth that you can’t grow pawpaws in zone 9 at all no matter how many chill hours you get. I grew pawpaws for almost 30 years in zone 9 in the California Central Valley. In some years we were effectively zone 10. All of my pawpaws leafed out and fruited every single year. During that same time others grew multiple…

I don’t recommend keeping them potted more than a couple of years, and make sure the pot is as deep as possible. My bench grafts are in 14" pots.

For varieties, you may want to read this recent thread "Starter" Pawpaw variety recommendations?