Post by: Laura Schneider
Hey Friends!
There are days here in the O-H that feel downright tropical because of the high humidity and – if you’re really unlucky – lots of mosquitoes.
Ohio’s tropical-tasting native fruit, the Paw Paw
But tropical-tasting fruit? Growing in Ohio? Say whaaaat?
Yes, there is such a thing. I’m talking about the humble pawpaw, of course!
Nicknamed “the poor-man’s banana” and overlooked for years, pawpaws are finally getting some love and attention. Pawpaws are the only edible fruit that’s native to Ohio, and in 2009 they were recognized as the official state native fruit.
But maybe pawpaws shouldn’t be so humble. According to several sources, they were George Washington’s favorite dessert and he planted them at Mt. Vernon. In 1806, pawpaws also saved the Lewis & Clark Expedition: they ran out of food about a week away from home, and were fortunate enough to find plenty of ripe pawpaws to eat to hold them over.
Pawpaw Trees
Pawpaw trees (Asimina triloba) grow all over Ohio, and are native to the eastern, southern, and midwestern states. They don’t like direct sunlight or overly wet soil, and are generally pretty small trees that grow in the understory of a forest. They can grow to about 35-45’ feet tall, but they’re often shorter and look more like shrubs than trees. They usually grow in patches.
The leaves of pawpaw trees are almond-shaped and range from about 5–11” long. They turn yellow in the fall, making it easier to spot clusters of trees.
Here’s something you probably didn’t know about pawpaws: most of them are clones (cue the Star Wars music). Pawpaws mainly reproduce through “root suckers,” which is when new shoots grow out of existing roots. So when you see a cluster of pawpaw trees, they’re often genetically the same! Pawpaws can also reproduce through seeds, but this happens less often.
It may seem hard to believe, but these cute little pawpaw trees are kind of...standoffish. Their leaves and bark contain a natural insecticide, so they don’t really attract insects and they also aren’t appealing to deer or rabbits. The bark also contains a known neurotoxin!
The Fruit – Part I
When you walk through your favorite Metro Park in late summer, you’ll probably see lots of pawpaw trees, but not many that have fruits growing on them. What gives?
It turns out that pawpaw trees aren’t all that great at producing fruits, and it all has to do with pollination.
Pawpaws flower in the early spring, but the flowers don’t let off a strong smell the way that other flowers do, so they don’t attract many pollinators. For example, bees apparently couldn’t care less about pawpaws. And why would they, when there are so many other wonderful-smelling flowers to check out?
There are a lot of fruit trees that can self-pollinate, but pawpaws can’t do that either. There are only a few flies and beetles that pollinate pawpaws, so this is one reason why they don’t produce a lot of fruit.
Super-gross side story: people who grow pawpaw trees will sometimes hang dead things nearby (like roadkill) to attract flies so that hopefully they’ll pollinate the blooms. Ewwww.
Another reason for lots of trees but no fruit – remember how most pawpaws are clones and grow together in patches? In order to produce fruit, pawpaws require cross-pollination from a genetically unrelated tree. This can be hard to come by when you live in a big patch full of nothing but clones of yourself. When you think about it, it’s kind of a miracle that we ever get any pawpaw fruits at all!
The Fruit – Part II
OK, so once a pawpaw tree has overcome all that and finally produces fruit – what does it look and taste like?
Pawpaws are 2-6” long, and resemble short, fat bananas. Unripe pawpaws are hard and green, and as they ripen they become more yellow-green (and can get brown or black splotches) and soften. Ripe pawpaws will feel like a ripe peach and let off a fruity smell.
There’s a short window of time to find ripe pawpaws. They usually ripen in September, but only for about a week to ten days. Ripe pawpaws easily come off the tree and will eventually fall off on their own.
Once ripe, the inside of pawpaws are yellow and mushy (often described as “custardy”), with black seeds.
And what about the taste? Remember how I said “tropical tasting” fruit? It’s true! Pawpaws are most frequently described as tasting similar to bananas and mangos, and some people get a hint of pineapple too. It’s basically like someone took all the fruits in Chiquita Banana’s basket, squished them all together and voila – the pawpaw! Crazy as it sounds, we have that sweet little tropical fruit on some finicky little trees right here in Ohio :)
Paw Paws wouldn’t be out of place in a tropical marketplace!
Pawpaw fruits are also pretty solid, nutritionally speaking. They contain:
Three times as much Vitamin C as an apple
Iron (about 39% of the recommended daily value)
Manganese (more than 100% of the recommended daily value)
Potassium
Copper
Significant amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and zinc
Protein (the protein in pawpaws contains all the essential amino acids, which makes them a “complete” protein – there aren’t many plants that can boast this!)
A Big Increase in “Paw”pularity!
Pawpaws were a staple in the diets of many Native Americans and early Europeans in North America, but really fell out of favor once fruits and vegetables started to be grown commercially. Ripe pawpaws only last a few days before they start to ferment, so they’re hard to store and transport, which is one reason why you don’t see them in grocery stores.
But, as many of us have started to become more conscious about where our food comes from, pawpaws have recently surged in pawpularity (sorry, it just doesn’t get old). Plus, pawpaws can easily be grown organically, since they don’t attract many pests. So, folks have started to rediscover the pawpaw for that reason too.
Several states have pawpaw festivals to celebrate the little green guys, with the one right here in Ohio being one of the largest. It’s held annually in September in Albany, which is near Athens. (Unfortunately it had to be cancelled this year due to the pandemic, but will be worth checking out next year.)
A quick Google search shows you a plethora of recipes to make pawpaw pies, cookies, guacamole, gelato, pudding, and about a million other things. Lots of Ohio craft brewers use pawpaws in a seasonal brew, like Thirsty Dog in Akron and Jackie O’s in Athens. You can even order fresh pawpaws or frozen pawpaw pulp from Integration Acres in Albany, one of the largest pawpaw processors and organizer of the Ohio PawPaw Fest.
There’s even a National Pawpaw Day – it’s celebrated each year on the third Thursday in September.
So, next time you’re out and about in our wonderful Metro Parks, keep an eye out for pawpaw trees – and now when you see them, you’ll probably think about clones, Chiquita Banana, roadkill, and beer too. Enjoy!