How to Find Pawpaws in the Wild?

[Peter Chrisbacher]

I grew up in northern New Jersey and can't remember ever having come across a Pawpaw tree in the wild - it seems like I was just outside their range.

I now live in southeastern pennsylvania and I'd like to locate some wild pawpaws, hopefully nearby, with the intent of obtaining some seed and/or seedlings/suckers so I can establish a couple of "wild" trees in my yard (along with some named varieties I have on order). I'm specifically interested in wild trees - not cultivated ones.

Can anyone give me any "tricks" for finding pawpaw trees or know of locations where they've seen pawpaws growing wild in PA, DE, NJ, or MD? I'd be willing to travel an hour or two to see/find them.

Thanks

Pete Chrisbacher

[David J Bockman]

According to Dirr (I'm going to have to make a new acronym, ATD), Asimina triloba (Common Pawpaw, Custard Apple) is indigenous from New York to Florida, west to Nebraska and Texas. (Introduced 1736). Asminia parviflora is indigenous in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain from Virginia to Mississippi and east Texas.

I find them with regularity (although they are solitary trees or small clumps usually) in dry hardwood stands and lowlying (riverbottom) areas, almost always in fertile soil (lots of leaf mold present) here in Virginia.

FWIW, ATD they are difficult to transplant unless quite young ( across a Pawpaw tree in the wild - it seems like I was just outside

[John McGaw]

Easy enough to find if you know what you're looking for -- I come across wild ones all the time while I'm hiking. But I'd suggest that you avoid moving a wild one. Far easier to buy some of the domesticated varieties:

[dr-solo]

[LanscpHort]