Way Down Yonder in the Pawpaw Patch

Northeast Tennessee here and tons of wild Pawpaw around here. Haven’t seen a single fruit this year though, think that late freeze got 'em.

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So true -‘this is a great way to find pawpaws especially since the flowering stage is very inconspicuous.

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Pawpaws are very common along the Calfkiller, Harpeth and Caney Fork rivers, but you need to look higher up the banks above the flood zone. They are often just high enough that you can’t see them from the water. Probably the Cumberland as well, but the flood zone is much larger. I haven’t been out looking for fruit yet this year to see how the freeze affected the crop.

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I think too - some of it is what is considered a “river.”
I was on the West Harpeth River yesterday picking spicebush berries, and of course there were pawpaws.
BUT - if I didn’t know it was called a river, I’d have said it was just a creek :relaxed:

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I picked about 10 yesterday, gave 2 away, ate two (and saved the seeds), and maybe I’ll have another after while. Neither of these trees had any last year. while other trees I know about don’t have any this year. (I don’t have the tech to post pictures).

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Good advice Hillbillyhort. I have found that driving and pawpaw scouting don’t mix lol.

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I spotted a puny little pawpaw sapling in Russell County KY today…no others nearby. (As I was driving a road I’ve seldom traveled.)

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Wild foraged
juicy fruit gum / butterscotch flavor
234 gm
18 gm seeds

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You are racking up! So jealous. I think you found all the available pawpaws in TN :rofl:

Flavor sounds great. Looks a little watery?

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Lol I almost feel bad sharing these for that reason :smirk: The flavor was nice but like you said a little watery. I found one a little bigger than this today but it didn’t cut open nicely and also had a little more seeds. I think this one came out of the tree too ripe.

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That’s a great seed ratio, 5.1%! You should keep a marker on that tree. Also if the other fruit pictured has a true color break when ripe, that is a desirable trait for possible commercial cultivation.

I now know of two wild patches near me. One in a Pittsburgh city park, and one near Ohiopyle in Pennsylvania. The two trees in squirrel hill are hardly “in the wild”, but I bet they are wild seedling trees. Another friend may know of some further patches not far away, I will be asking him soon.

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I’m no longer in the area, but one of my favorite hikes for pawpaw foraging in Maryland was along the Little Patuxent in the research refuge between DC and Baltimore. There are 2 distinct patches of very large trees along the river bank next to the trail, and they produce heavy crops in many years, with good flavor, good fruit size. Littering the ground if you go after a windy night around peak of the season.

Another that I liked was the hike-in campground in Sky Meadows State Park in northern VA, which has trees all along the creeks and throughout the campsites. Also some good persimmon trees along the trail to the campground.

I wish I’d taken photos of fruit from either location back when I used to go every year!

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Hey disc4tw,

It is surprising how much variation there can be in wild trees. I found an area that has tasty large fruit with low seed and not far from there was fruit that was mostly seed. I marked the trees that seemed the best. Hoping to find them again this season :+1:

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That is great Vid! I wonder if, for native trees, there is more variation in fruit quality based on genetics, or more based on the luck of the draw where the trees are located (soil health, water access etc). It sounds like you might want to take some scion material to compare with any cultivars you might have in the orchard!

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Found my largest wild fruit ever. 345 g or 12 oz and 21 g seed. Probably the most tropical tasting pawpaw I’ve had. Very sweet.

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Hope you marked the tree it came from. Pawpaw enthusiasts may be lining up to request scions.

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I’ve been too distracted to look for ripe ones…but maybe this coming rainy spell I can find the time.

I made that mistake last season and remember what fruit belonged to what tree. This year they are marked :+1:

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The latest ripening of the larger fruit in my patch this year. Not much pawpaw flavor but still a nice fruity flavor. Good seed ratio at 5%. I’ve got this one marked as #16. Good texture.
320g
16g seed

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I’m not sure what that means,as varieties have different flavors,from each other.