I used AI to do quick reseach on pawpaw varieties for zone 7a. It came up with the following. I figured I would toss these out there for discussion to help me decide on a few varieties to try and grow.
P.S. my trust in AI is very low. Trust in personal experiences is high. So please do chime in.
"Here is a list of the best pawpaw (Asimina triloba) varieties for USDA Hardiness Zone 7a, known for their cold tolerance, productivity, fruit quality, and adaptability:
Shenandoah
Excellent flavor, consistently rated highly in taste tests
Reliable producer
Good for Zone 7a and similar climates
Prolific
Known for high yields and sweet, tropical-flavored fruit
Here is a combined list of best-flavored and largest pawpaw varieties, highlighting those that excel in both flavor and fruit size:
Top Flavored & Large Fruit Varieties:
Kentucky Champion: Large fruit, sweet flavor, vigorous growth.
Cantaloupe: Large, freestone fruit, sweet flavor, high productivity.
Honey Dew: Large, freestone fruit, sweet flavor, high productivity.
KSU Atwood: Large fruit, sweet flavor, resistant to phyllosticta spot.
KSU Benson: Large or medium-large fruit, sweet flavor, resistant to phyllosticta spot.
Mariaâs Joy: Large fruit, sweet flavor, highly productive.
Tropical Treat: Large fruit, sweet flavor, moderately productive.
Susquehanna: Large fruit, strong flavor, high acetogenin content.
Marshmallow: Large, freestone fruit, sweetest of freestone varieties.
These varieties are ideal for growers seeking a balance of large fruit size and excellent flavor. Choose based on your local climate and cultivation goals.
Have you tried any of the cultivars and have any flavor preferences based on that? Or anything youâve noticed you liked in wild pawpaws? Some people seem to like the mellower flavors, some like the fuller flavors.
In terms of your specific list from AI, Iâve heard concerns about off flavors with Sunflower and even more about Prima, which people seem to like based on being more precocious and better pollination (some say self capable) and then donât like as much for flavor when they get the other varieties ripening to compare. And I think more people would recommend KSU Chappel over Atwood.
Editing to add that I meant the list at the top since I was typing as your last post came in. Interesting that new list still doesnât have Chappel.
A couple of things to add that are worth investigating on different cultivars is the productivity and vigor. Some varieties are just not big producers, so you may want to consider that if you want a lot of pawpaws. And some varieties, like KSU Benson, are known to be slower growers.
I so much appricate your reply, it has helped me a lot. As I said in the beginning post my trust level of AI is low⌠its ok to compile lists by characteristics and all. But real value and trust comes from real world (human) observations and recommendations. Iâll compile a new list to incude productivity and vigor. Iâm only inputting AI with Pawpaw Varieties
KSU Atwood: Large fruit, sweet flavor, high productivity, moderate vigor, disease-resistant.
KSU Benson: Large or medium-large fruit, sweet flavor, high productivity, moderate vigor, disease-resistant.
Mariaâs Joy: Large fruit, sweet flavor, high productivity, moderate vigor.
Tropical Treat: Large fruit, sweet flavor, moderate productivity, moderate vigor.
Susquehanna: Large fruit, strong flavor, high productivity, vigorous growth, high acetogenin content.
Marshmallow: Large, freestone fruit, sweetest flavor, high productivity, vigorous growth.
Potomac: Large fruit, medium to strong flavor, moderate productivity, moderate vigor, less disease-resistant.
Wabash: Large fruit, sweet flavor, moderate productivity, vigorous growth, somewhat susceptible to cracking.
Tallahatchie: Medium to large fruit, mellow flavor, moderate productivity, moderate vigor, more disease-resistant.
These varieties are ideal for growers seeking a balance of large fruit size, flavor, productivity, and vigor. Choose based on your local climate and cultivation goals.
Iâd recommend reading this thread if you havent already. In general you canât go wrong with âclassicsâ Shenandoah and Susquehanna, and Chapelle supposedly grows faster than the rest.
Not many, i think just 6 varieties. Iâm going to dig up and pot 12 wild pawpaw root stocks after they go dormant. I suppose iâll see what makes it through winter. Hoping for 6 but could be less or more.
Hereâs the wild pawpaw rootstock thread I started to complement this thread.
The article from Growing Fruit provides starter pawpaw variety recommendations based on flavor, productivity, and ease of cultivation. Hereâs a summary of the key points:
âKentucky Championâ: A popular choice for its large, sweet fruit, vigorous growth, and good productivity.
âCantaloupeâ: Known for large, freestone fruit and high productivity.
âHoney Dewâ: Another freestone variety with large fruit and high productivity.
âKSU Atwoodâ and âKSU Bensonâ: Both are disease-resistant, highly productive, and produce large fruit.
âSusquehannaâ: Offers strong flavor, large fruit, and high productivity, with vigorous growth.
âMarshmallowâ: A freestone variety with sweet flavor, large fruit, and high productivity.
âTropical Treatâ: Produces large fruit with moderate productivity and a sweet flavor.
âWabashâ: Has large fruit, sweet flavor, and vigorous growth, though it may be susceptible to cracking.
âTallahatchieâ: Offers mellow flavor, medium to large fruit, and moderate productivity with better disease resistance.
These varieties are recommended for beginners due to their flavor, productivity, and ease of care. Choose based on your local climate, space, and cultivation goals.
I asked AI to compare both and make recommendations. These 7 varieties is what it came back with. I think iâll try these 7 varieties and see what happens. I really do appricate all of your replies they have been extremely helpful to me. Thereâs no such thing as perfection in this world. The following 7 varieties seem to fit the bill for me and as good a place to start my pawpaw adventure as any.
Hereâs a comparison of the two pawpaw variety lists and recommendations for growers:
List 1 (From cultivar.guide/pawpaw)
Focuses on a wide range of varieties, including flavor, size, productivity, disease resistance, and ripening time. Includes both popular and less common varieties.
