Spacing: 10 - 15 feet

Mature height:15 feet

Bloom time: mid summer

Bloom colour: dark brown 

Light: mid to full sun

Watering: grows well in moist areas such as pond edges

Soil: Moist, Fertile soil

These seeds come packed in moist potting soil. They have been cold stratified over the winter. Please keep them in the fridge until you are ready to plant. The hard brown seeds are at the bottom of the bag. 

Pawpaw is native to the Eastern United States and Southern Ontario. They grow in the Carolinian zone (Niagara region, hardiness zone 6 and 7). We have grown them successfully in zone 5b in the Kawartha Lakes area, but not all saplings survived the winter.

Germination

Pawpaw is the slowest germinating seed we have ever grown… So be patient while your babies take their time to emerge. The shoot takes many weeks to come up.

Pawpaws thrive in rich soil with added compost and like moist conditions.

Tender saplings

Your trees need a lot of protection in their first few years. Keep them shaded and protected in summer. We use a tomato cage with a piece of burlap or other cloth tied on top. They like to be in shade until they are well established for a few years.

Overwintering

Mulch heavily with leaves or straw in winter. We completely cover the saplings until well into spring.

Fruiting

Paw paws will start to flower and fruit after around year 7. They are not self for tile, which means they need another pawpaw tree near them to germinate and have fruits. They do best in a grove of multiple trees. If you have somewhere sheltered from wind where they will get sun once they are fully grown, that is best. Pawpaw trees can also grow in a very large container such as a big round stock tank.

Enjoy, and happy growing!