Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. If you have a partially shady area you’d like to use for fruit production, paw paw is the plant for you. This native small tree grows in filtered woodlands with fair rich soils that hold moisture. The fruit is described as delicious or repugnant – fortunately, cultivars with delicious mango, banana, papaya flavored flesh have been selected and are sold as grafted trees so you know exactly what you’re getting. Thin the clusters of fruits to one or two individuals for good size and to prevent the limbs from breaking. The stem should slip easily from the branch when fruits are ripe and they’ll be very soft – scoop the flesh out with a spoon and use it in smoothies, for ice cream, or in breads. Even the micro brewers are jumping on the paw paw band wagon -- creating such treats as Weasel Paw Pawpaw Pale Ale.
The Versatile Paw Paw
