[FamiliarFace]

Quick question on pawpaw trees. Do you need to have a male and female in order for the trees to bear fruit?

The original owner of this home told me that she has pawpaw trees on one section of her current property, but that they don’t bear fruit. She said I may have some, but I would need to come dig them up with her. It sounds like they’re in a very wooded spot.

I think it may be my only chance to get my hands on a pawpaw tree, but I’m hoping to find one that will bear fruit for me.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

You are probably better off getting pawpaws from a nursery rather than free wild ones. The wild ones...when they bear...are smaller and full of seeds. Note that they also have a long tap root which makes it difficult to survive being dug up and transplanted. (Nurseries have specialty long rooting pots/cells to accomodate that tap root.)

Diana might have some suggestions for sourcing.

[Pollard]

Some info here — https://pauldingtree.com/nextcloud/s/TGnAcPBk4ap9Se9

[Pollard]

https://centerforagroforestry.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Agroforestry-in-Action-Pawpaw-3-1.pdf