Native and Novel: The Impact and Future of Pawpaws

Pawpaws are small, deciduous understory trees loved for their edible fruit, unique flowers, and use in food production. A growing interest in agroforestry and the trend of cultivating edible landscapes has resulted in increased demand for pawpaw trees. The impact of the native pawpaw is growing, yet it’s still a novel idea. With the help of a native plant nursery and conservation efforts, the future of pawpaws is blooming.

The Ecology of Pawpaws

The pawpaw tree is a member of the Annonaceae plant family that grows in the eastern regions of the United States, stretching through 25 states and into Ontario, Canada. It thrives in floodplains and bottomlands with a preference for elevated slopes.

Pawpaws are self-incompatible, which means successful fruit production necessitates the cross-pollination of two distinct species. Flies, beetles, opossums, foxes, raccoons, birds, and squirrels help pollinate pawpaw patches while they snack on the tasty fruit. The fruits are resistant to diseases and pests and the aromatic flowers attract the flies that assist in pollination. Most deer also avoid eating the leaves. These attributes help ease the challenge of pollination, but local growers may need to pollinate pawpaws by hand to encourage active and successful growth in their orchards. They can purchase grafted pawpaws from a local native plant nursery if they wish to grow pawpaws on their land.

The Impact of Pawpaws

Pawpaws are often included in ecological restoration plans in areas that suffer from the effects of erosion because of their preference for wet soil and their dense, well-rooted growth. Deer’s distaste for pawpaw leaves also allows the trees to flourish under large canopies, further encouraging understory growth in native areas, parks, and fragmented landscapes. The taste of pawpaw fruit is similar to bananas, mangos, and cantaloupe, but it has struggled to become commercially popular. This is due to its tendency to bruise easily and overripen quickly, making long-distance shipping a major challenge. Still, the benefits of pawpaw fruit for local animals and inhabitants should not be underestimated.

The Future of Pawpaws

Recently, the pawpaw has been observed expanding from its lowland native habitat to drier, upland forests. Researchers posit this growth is because of deer browse patterns. The deer’s avoidance of pawpaws allows the trees to focus their energy on growth and reproduction. When the deer actively avoid pawpaws, they focus more on browsing other native species, leaving even more room for pawpaws to grow. Many researchers wonder whether the future of pawpaw trees includes upward growth into the canopy. Another possibility is that forest canopies will grow shorter or patchier in the future, especially if the deer population remains high. Balance is key to a healthy environment, so researchers hope that pawpaws do not begin to threaten wildlife and other tree and shrub growth.

A Case Study: Lance Sinkowski’s Favorite Tree

For Lance Sinkowski, his love of nature and pawpaws began when he spotted a zebra swallowtail and eagerly chased after it. Just a teenager, he didn’t manage to catch the butterfly, but he became fascinated by the connection between the zebra swallowtail and pawpaw trees. This led to Lance’s passion for educating others about native edible plants, particularly pawpaws, and their harmonious relationship with nature.

In the spring of 1999, Sinkowski worked toward establishing a pawpaw orchard on a farm he had acquired five years earlier. The 89-acre family farm was previously used for raising horses by his grandfather.

“We planted over 1,400 pawpaws, primarily grafted species. My personal favorites are Overleese, NC-1, and Potomac ” shared Sinkowski. “It’s hard to surpass the flavor and size of Overleese. Naturally, we opted for a native plant nursery’s grafted trees due to their high production rate and wide selection of pawpaw species.”

Sinkowski anticipates that it will be approximately two years before he can bring the fruit to farmers’ markets. He is also exploring the possibility of selling pawpaws to local microbreweries. Pawpaw trees thrive in various environments, and their large, fleshy fruits are packed with nutrients. Farmers’ markets and direct orchard sales are the primary avenues for selling fresh pawpaw fruit.

The Role of a Native Plant Nursery

A large native plant nursery can produce nearly 400 native species, with a large percentage of these species being appropriate for agroforestry use. Growers can choose from 17 varieties of grafted pawpaws. Grafting fruit and nut trees enables farmers to cultivate more consistent crops. Visit your local native plant nursery to learn more about pawpaws and RPM-produced plants and trees.