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Callaway, M.B. 1993. Pawpaw (Asimina triloba): A "tropical" fruit for temperate climates. p. 505-515. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.), New crops. Wiley, New York.

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba): A "Tropical" Fruit for Temperate Climates

M. Brett Callaway*

DISTRIBUTION
HORTICULTURE
REFERENCES
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Fig. 1
Fig. 2

The pawpaw [Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal] is the largest fruit native to the United States (Darrow 1975). The genus Asimina is the only temperate climate representative of the tropical family Annonaceae. This family is famous for a number of fine fruit, including cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.), sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.), atemoya (Annona squamosa x A. cherimola), soursop (Annona muricata L.), custard apple (Annona reticulata L.), ilama (Annona diversifolia Safford), soncoya (Annona purpurea Moc. & Sesse), and biriba (Rollinia mucosa Baill.) (Morton, 1987). Of the nine species of Asimina found in the United States, A. triloba has the greatest potential for commercial fruit production. Other species are lacking in quality, size, hardiness, or other important characteristics. In addition to its promising potential for fruit production, certain parts of A. triloba plants contain asimicin, a compound with active pesticidal and neoplastic properties (Rupprecht et al. 1986, 1990; Ratnayake et al. 1993).

DISTRIBUTION

Fourteen species in the Annonaceae are native to the United States. These include nine species of Asimina, two species of Deeringothamnus, and three species of Annona. All Asimina species, excepting A. parviflora (Michx.) Dunal and A. triloba, are restricted to Florida and extreme southern portions of Georgia and Alabama (Callaway 1990). Asimina parviflora is distributed throughout the southeastern United States (Callaway 1990), while A. triloba is distributed over most of the eastern United States (Fig. 1) and even into extreme southern Canada. Deeringothamnus rugelii (B.L. Robbins) Small and D. pulchellus Small are rare plants native only to Florida (Kral 1983). The Annonas, A. glabra L., A. palustris L., and A. squamosa L., are found only in extreme southern Florida (Small 1913; Wunderlin 1982). I am aware of fruiting plantings of pawpaws on four continents (North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe).

HORTICULTURE

Culture

Since no scientific work has been done on cultural requirements of pawpaws, the following discussion on culture is based largely on my personal observations. I prefer planting seed into Rootrainer book containers (see propagation section below) then transplanting 10 to 20 cm seedlings into tall pots. Plants are left in the tall pots until they reach 0.5 to 1.0 m in height before transplanting. Seedlings should be started in pots for several reasons. First, pawpaw seedlings are reported to be sensitive to ultraviolet light (Peterson 1991). However, following a season of growth in partial shade, they no longer seem to be affected by direct sunlight. Rather, they grow and produce better in full sun (Wilson and Schemske 1980). Pots may be conveniently grouped under shadecloth for a season before transplanting to permanent field locations. Second, pawpaws have a reputation of being difficult to transplant and this difficulty increases with plant size. Yet, small plants are more difficult to maintain under field conditions. There is a tradeoff between transplanting success and maintenance of plants in the field. Plants grown in containers to approximately 1 m in height before transplanting largely circumvent these problems. Finally, plants may reach bearing size sooner when grown in containers before transplanting to the field, since optimal growing conditions are often more easily provided to container-grown plants.

Plants appear to need a "rest" period. Seedlings germinated in the greenhouse in December ceased growth in February and did not resume growth until June, even though suitable growing conditions were maintained during the entire period.

Pawpaws appear to benefit from mulching with leaves, compost, or other material high in organic matter. Since their native habitat is river floodplains, they may be somewhat more sensitive to low soil moisture than other fruit trees. Pawpaws seem to be sensitive to low humidities and dry winds.

Seed Propagation

Seed should be removed from the fruit, cleaned, and placed in a polyethylene bag with damp sphagnum moss and should not be allowed to dry out. Seed should be stratified at 2° to 4°C for 60 to 100 days before planting (Thomson 1982; USDA 1948). Seed should be planted about 2.5 cm deep. The depth of Rootrainer books, commonly used in the propagation of forest trees, is especially desirable because of pawpaw's long taproot. Once seedlings reach a height of 10 to 20 cm they can be transplanted into tall pots (10 x 10 x 36 cm) with partially open bottoms and placed on greenhouse benches. Taproots growing out the bottom of these pots are "air-pruned."

The rate and percentage of seed germination is stimulated by bottom heat (27°C) (Fig. 2) with most seedlings emerging between 45 and 90 days after planting. Acid scarification reduced percent germination. Evert and Payne (1991) reported increased percent germination with increased shading.

Vegetative Propagation

The most reliable and commonly used method of vegetative propagation is chip-budding. Root cuttings have been used successfully (USDA 1948), but softwood propagation methods (those using cuttings from soft, succulent, new growth) have not been satisfactorily developed. I was able to generate shoots in vitro from leaf explants using a modified a medium developed for tissue culture of Annona spp. (Nair et al. 1984a,b).

Fruit Description, Composition, and Processing

Fruit are produced in clusters and are oblong to banana-shaped, providing insight into the origin of one of A. triloba's early names, "Indiana banana." Fruit size ranges from quite small (20 g) to over 450 g. Skin is typically smooth and thin, ranging in color from green to bright yellow at maturity and turning brown or black after a frost. The fruit may be eaten when it becomes soft although some prefer to wait until after the skin has darkened. Flesh is custard-like in texture with flavor resembling cherimoya (Annona cherimola) or soursop (Annona muricata). Flesh color is typically orange but infrequently may be white (Callaway 1991). Large fruit usually have 10 to 15 large black seeds.

Peterson et al. (1982) evaluated the composition of pawpaw fruit (Table 1) and concluded that the fruit have a high nutritional quality compared to temperate fruits such as apple, peach, and grape. All commercially important fruit in the Annonaceae have relatively short shelf-lives. As Annonas are used in juices, ice cream, and other processed products similar processing may also be applicable to pawpaws.

Cultivars

A list of past and present cultivars has been compiled by Callaway (1990) and Peterson (1991). Many early cultivars have been lost over the years as the owners of nurseries and collections pass away. To date, there have been a total of 68 cultivars developed (Table 2). Only about 19 are commercially available (Table 3). Most are available in limited quantities from only one or two nurseries. The information available on these cultivars is based on the personal observations of very few persons; replicated yield tests have not been carried out. 'Overleese' and 'Sunflower' are probably the most widely grown cultivars and are generally considered to be among the highest quality. Relatively few nurseries sell pawpaw, although those who do, find it difficult to supply the demand.

Pests

Flyspeck (Zygophiala jamaicensis Mason) has been reported on fruit in Japan (Nasu and Kunoh 1987). A leaf spot caused by a complex of pathogens [Mycocentrospora asiminae (Ellis & Kellerm.) Deighton, Rhopaloconidium asiminae (Ellis & Morg.) Petr., and Phyllosticta asiminae Ellis & Kellerm.] has also been reported (Peterson 1991). None of these diseases caused significant damage to the fruit. Three lepidopterans have been reported to damage Asimina spp. Eurytides marcellus Cramer and Omphalocera munroei Martin feed on the leaves (Damman 1986). Talponia plummeriana Busck bores into the peduncle of flowers, causing serious loss of flowers in some years (Allard 1955). Fruit may also be eaten by wildlife including birds, foxes, opossums, squirrels, and raccoons.

Research Needs

Collection and testing of germplasm are needed. Since only 19 cultivars are available, wild germplasm remains an important source of genetic material for cultivar development and improvement. Superior selections from the wild should continue to be propagated and sold by nurserymen for home and commercial plantings. There is a great need for testing superior genotypes (wild selections, breeding lines, and cultivars) throughout the potential growing region to provide sound recommendations for growers.

Basic information is needed on the inheritance of commercially important traits, such as flowering behavior, fruit size, productivity, and maturity. This information is critical for the development of efficient, effective genetic improvement programs.

Basic horticultural information on such cultural practices as irrigation, fertilization, and pest control practices is also lacking. Information on pollination biology is needed. Wilson and Schemske (1980) demonstrated that fruit production on wild trees was limited by inadequate pollination. Only 0.41% of flowers set fruit on naturally pollinated plants in the wild, while as many as 17% of hand-pollinated flowers set fruit. A better understanding of the agents and mechanisms responsible for pawpaw pollination is needed to ensure reliable fruit set.

REFERENCES

Allard, H.A. 1955. The native pawpaw. Atlantic Naturalist 10:197-203.
Anonymous. 1917. The best papaws. J. Hered. 8:21-33.
Bartholemew, E.A. 1962. Possibilities of the papaw. Northern Nut Growers Assoc. Annu. Rpt. 53:71-74.
Billington, C. 1949. Shrubs of Michigan. 2nd ed. Cranbrook Institute of Science. Bul. No. 20.
Bowden, W.M. and B. Miller. 1951. Distribution of the pawpaw, Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal, in Southern Ontario. Can. Field-Naturalist 65:27-31.
Braun, E.L. 1961. The woody plants of Ohio. Ohio State Univ. Press, Columbus, OH. p. 148-149.
Brooks, R.M. and M.P. Olmo. 1972. Register of new fruit and nut varieties. 2nd ed. Univ. of California Press, Berkeley.
California Rare Fruit Growers. 1982. Fruit registration listing. California Rare Fruit Growers 1982 Yearb. California Rare Fruit Growers, The Fullerton Arboretum, California State Univ., Fullerton.
Callaway, M.B. 1990. The pawpaw (Asimina triloba). Kentucky State Univ. Pub. CRS-HORT1-901T.
Callaway, M.B. 1991. Germplasm collection using public contests--The Asimina triloba example. HortScience 26:722.
Clark, R.C. 1971. The woody plants of Alabama. Ann. Missouri Botanical Garden 58:99-242.
Damman, A.J. 1986. Facultative interactions between two lepidopteran herbivores of Asimina. Oecologia 78:214-219.
Darrow, G.M. 1975. Minor temperate fruits, p. 276-277. In: J. Janick and J.N. Moore (eds.). Advances in fruit breeding. Purdue Univ. Press, West Lafayette, IN.
Davis, C. 1969. Hunting for better paw paws. Northern Nut Growers Assoc. Annu. Rpt. 60:107-108.
Davis, C. 1979. Update on pawpaws. Northern Nut Growers Assoc. Annu. Rpt. 70:82-84.
Davis, C. 1982. The paw paw in southern Michigan. In: California Rare Fruit Growers 1982 Yearb. Fullerton. p. 38-41.
Davis, C. 1983. Pawpaw: The forgotten fruit. (revised 11-15-83). Mimeo. 20865 Junction Road, Bellevue, MI.
Deam, C.C. 1940. Flora of Indiana. Dept. of Conservation, Div. of Forestry, Indianapolis, IN. p. 478-479.
Evert, D.R. and J.A. Payne. 1991. Germination of Asimina triloba and A. parviflora. HortScience 26:777.
Glaser, R. 1982. The pawpaw in Indiana, p. 36. In: California rare fruit growers 1982 yearb. Fullerton.
Harvill, A.M., C.E. Stevens, and D.M.E. Ware. 1977. Atlas of the Virginia flora, Part 1. Virginia Botanical Associates, Farmville.
Hough, M.Y. 1983. New Jersey wild plants. Harmony Press, Harmony, NJ.
Johnson, G.P. and K.A. Nicely. 1990. The Magnoliales of Kentucky. Trans. Kentucky Acad. Sci. 51:14-17.
Jones, S.B. and N.C. Coile. 1988. The distribution of the vascular flora of Georgia. Dept. Botany, Univ. of Georgia, Athens.
Kral, R. 1983. A report on some rare, threatened, or endangered forest-related vascular plants of the south. USDA Forest Service Southern Region, Tech. Pub. R8-TP-2. p. 448-457.
Kral, R. 1960. A revision of Asimina and Deeringothamnus (Annonaceae). Brittonia 12:233-278.
Kurle, R. 1982. The paw paw in Illinois, p. 32-35. In: California rare fruit growers 1982 yearb. Fullerton.
Little, E.L. 1981. Forest trees of Oklahoma, p. 111. Oklahoma Forestry Div., State Dept. Agr. Pub. 1, (Revised ed. 12), Oklahoma City.
Little, J.A. 1905. A treatise on the Pawpaw. Orville G. Swindler, Clayton, IN.
Mansell, T. 1986. The advantages of self-rooted pawpaws. Pomona 19:62-63.
Mohlenbrock, R.H. 1981. The illustrated flora of Illinois: flowering plants, magnolias to pitcher plants. So. Illinois Univ. Press, Carbondale. p. 11-13.
Morton, J.F. 1987. Fruits of warm climates. Published by author.
Nair, S., P.K. Gupta, and A.F. Mascarenhas. 1984a. In vitro propagation of Annona hybrid (Annona squamosa L. x Annona cherimola L.). Indian J. Hort. 41:160-165.
Nair, S., P.K. Gupta, M.V. Shirgurkar, and A.F. Mascarenhas. 1984b. In vitro organogenesis from leaf explants of Annona squamosa Linn. Plant Cell Tissue Organ Culture 3:29-40.
Nasu, H. and H. Kunoh. 1987. Scanning electron microscopy of flyspeck of apple, pear, Japanese persimmon, plum, Chinese quince, and pawpaw. Plant Dis. 71:361-364.
Pammel, L.H. and C.M. King. 1930. Honey plants of Iowa. Iowa Geological Survey, Bul. 7, Iowa Geological Survey, Des Moines. p. 185-186.
Pape, E. 1965. The pawpaw. Northern Nut Growers Assoc. Annu. Rpt. 56:103-106.
Peterson, N.F. 1912. Flora of Nebraska. Published by author.
Peterson, R.N. 1991. Pawpaw (Asimina), p. 567-600. In: J.N. Moore and J.R. Ballington (eds.). Genetic resources of temperate fruit and nut crops. Intl. Soc. Hort. Sci., Wageningen.
Peterson, R.N., J.P. Cherry, and J.G. Simmons. 1982. Composition of pawpaw (Asimina triloba) fruit. Northern Nut Growers Assoc. Annu. Rpt. 73:97-107.
Radford, A.E., H.F. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas, p. 475-477. Univ. North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
Ratnayake, S., J.K. Rupprecht, W.M. Potter, and J.L. McLaughlin. 1993. Evaluation of various parts of the paw paw tree, Asimina triloba (Annonaceae), as commercial sources of the pesticidal annonaceous acetogenins. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.). Progress in new crops. Wiley, New York.
Rupprecht, J.K., C.-J. Chang, J.M. Cassady, and J.L. McLaughlin. 1986. Asimicin, a new cytotoxic and pesticidal acetogenin from the pawpaw, Asimina triloba (Annonaceae). Heterocycles 24:1197-1201.
Rupprecht, J.K., Y.-H. Hui, and J.L. McLaughlin. 1990. Annonaceous acetogenins: A review. J. Nat. Prod. 53:237-278.
Simpson, B.J. 1988. A field guide of Texas trees. Texas Monthly Press, Austin.
Small, J.K. 1913. Flora of the Florida keys. Published by author.
Smith, E.B. 1978. An annotated list of the vascular plants of Arkansas, p. 9-10. Published by author.
Steyermark, J.A. 1963. Flora of Missouri. The Iowa State University Press, Ames. p. 671-674.
The Great Plains Flora Association. 1977. Atlas of the flora of the great plains, p. 14. The Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA.
Thomson, P.H. 1982. The paw paw, p. 5-31. In: California rare fruit growers, 1982 yearb. California Rare Fruit Growers, Fullerton.
USDA. 1948. Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal, pawpaw, p. 92. In: woody-plant seed manual. USDA, Washington, DC. Misc. Publ. 654.
Vines, R.A. 1960. Custard-apple family (Annonaceae). p. 289-291. In: Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the southwest. University of Texas Press.
Wilson, M.F. and D.W. Schemske. 1980. Pollinator limitation, fruit production, and floral display in pawpaw (Asimina triloba). Bul. Torrey Bot. Club 107:401-408.
Wunderlin, R.P. 1982. Guide to the vascular plants of Central Florida. Univ. Presses of Florida, Tampa. p. 188-189.
Zimmerman, G.A. 1938. The papaw. Northern Nut Growers Assoc. Annu. Rpt. 29:99-102.
Zimmerman, G.A. 1941. Hybrids of the American pawpaw. J. Hered. 32:83-91.

*I acknowledge the helpful comments of Neal Peterson and Joe Hickman. Financial support during manuscript preparation was provided by USDA/CSRS Agreement No. KYX-10-91-17P to Kentucky State University.

Table 1. Composition of raw, unpeeled pawpaw fruit based on the edible portion (Peterson et al. 1982; Peterson 1991, and pers. commun.).

Constituent Range

Proximates (g/100 g)

Ash 0.6-0.7

Carbohydrate 16.8-22.4

Fat 0.6-1.4

Fiber 1.4-3.5

Food energy (Kcal/100 g) 77-89

Protein 0.8-1.4

Water 69.5-77.0

Vitamins (mg/100 g)

A (IU/100 g) 66-1.5

C 7.6-20.9

Niacin 1.1-1.2

Riboflavin 0.09-0.09

Thiamin 0.01-0.01

Minerals (mg/100 g)

Calcium 53-76

Copper 0.4-0.6

Iron 6.8-7.2

Magnesium 109-120

Manganese 2.5-2.6

Phosphorus 43-53

Potassium 314-368

Sulfur 62-78

Zinc 0.9-0.9

Fatty Acids (% of total)

Linoleic 8.1-9.0

Linolenic 16.9-24.4

Oleic 23.3-38.0

Palmitic 18.6-24.4

Palmitoleic 5.8-10.2

Sugars (g/100 g)

Fructose 1.3-2.8

Glucose 1.8-4.0

Sucrose 6.0-13.3

Essential Amino Acids (g/100 g of protein)

Arginine 3.00-3.83

Histidine 1.55-2.19

Isoleucine 4.7-6.8

Leucine 5.8-8.2

Lysine 4.2-6.3

Methionine 0.9-1.4

Phenylalanine 3.7-4.9

Threonine 3.2-4.6

Tryptophan 0.4-0.9

Valine 4.2-6.0

Table 2. Descriptions of pawpaw cultivars.

Name Description Place of origin Pedigree Reference

Arkansas Beauty AR Selected from wild Anon. 1917; Pape 1965

Betty Wirt Fruit weighs up to 454 g, but averages 160 g Wirt County, WV Selected from wild Bartholomew 1962; Pape 1965

Buckman White flesh color, mild flavor; late to very late maturity Selected by B. Buckman Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941

Cheatwood Gallia, OH Selected from wild by J. Cheatwood Anon. 1917

Cheely Iuka, IL Selected from wild by J. Cheely Anon. 1917

Cox's Favorite Selected from wild Anon. 1917

Davis* Fruit 115 g, up to 12 cm long; yellow-fleshed; ripens 1st week of October in MI; green skin; seed large; keeps well in cold storage Bellevue, MI Selected from wild by Corwin Davis around 1959 Brooks and Olmo 1972; Davis 1982; L. Davis pers. commun.

Dr. Potter Small fruit size; mild flavor; ships fairly well; late maturity; rich yellow flesh Julietta, IN Selected from wild by B.S. Potter Anon. 1917

Duck Vines 1960

Early Best IN Selected from wild by W.C. Stout Anon. 1917

Early Cluster Selected from wild Anon. 1917

Early Gold Selected from wild Zimmerman 1938

Endicott Villa Ridge, IL Selected from wild by G. Endicott Anon. 1917

Fairchild Early maturity Selected by David Fairchild from 'Ketter' seed Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941

Ford Amend* Slightly smaller and earlier than 'Sunflower'; matures late Sept. in OR; flesh orange; skin greenish-yellow Portland, OR Selected by Ford Amend around 1950 from a seedling of unknown parentage M. Dolan pers. commun.

G-2 Zimmerman seed Peterson 1991

Gable Late to very late maturity PA Selected from wild by J. Gable Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941

Glaser Evansville, IN Selected by P. Glaser Thomson 1982

Hann AR Selected from wild Anon. 1917

Hengst Selected from wild Peterson 1991

Holtwood Selected from wild by W. Hoopes Vines 1960

Hope's August Early maturity Paint, OH Selected from wild by A. Hope Anon. 1917; Zimmerman 1941

Hope's September Paint, OH Selected from wild by A. Hope Anon. 1917

Jumbo Late to very late maturity Zimmerman 1941

Kercheval Pape 1965

Ketter Matures evenly; skin comparatively thick & tough; does not discolor markedly; flesh medium yellow; mild but rich flavor, neither insipid nor cloying; large yellow fruit; early maturity Ironton, OH Selected by Mrs. F. Ketter Anon. 1917; Zimmerman 1941

Kirsten* Aliquippa, PA Tom Mansell seedling 'Taytoo' x 'Overleese' J.S. Akin pers. commun.

Kurle Small-medium in size; yellow flesh and skin MI Seedling by R. Kurle from 'Davis' Kurle 1982

Lawvere Pape 1965

Little Rosie Small fruit size Evansville, IN Selected by R. Glaser Glaser 1982

Long John Selected by B. Buckman Zimmerman 1938

M-1 Selected by J. McKay from 'G-2' seedling Peterson 1991

Mango* Tifton, GA Selected by Major Collins J. Gordon pers. commun.; Peterson 1991

Martin Large fruit size (Zimmerman says small size); flesh yellow & of superior quality (Zimmerman says skin tough); withstands cold well Springfield, OH Selected from wild by S.C. Martin Anon. 1917; Zimmerman 1941

Mary Foos Johnson* Similar to 'Sunflower'; original located at the North Wilamette Expt. Sta., Auroe, OR Seedling given to North Wilamette Expt. Sta. by Ms. Mary Foos Johnson Pape 1965

Mason /WLW* Mason, OH Selected from wild by E.J. Downing Peterson 1991

Middletown Middletown, OH Selected from wild by E.J. Downing Peterson 1991

Mitchell* Fruit medium-size; skin slightly yellow; flesh golden; flavor "superb" Jefferson Co., IL Selected from wild by Joe Hickman J. Hickman pers. commun.

Mudge Selected from wild Pape 1965

NC-1* Fruit 340 g; few seed; yellow flesh and skin; thin skin; early, maturing Sept. 15 in Ontario Ontario, Canada Selected by R.D. Campbell around 1976 from 'Davis' x 'Overleese' R.D. Campbell pers. commun.; L. Davis pers. commun.

Osborne Late to very late maturity Selected from wild Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941

Oswald Hagerstown, MD Selected from wild by E. Oswald Anon. 1917

Overleese* Fruit 340 g; bears in clusters of 3 to 5; ripens 1st week of Oct. in MI Rushville, IN Selected from wild by W.B. Ward around 1950 Davis 1982; Davis 1986; Pape 1965; Peterson 1991

PA-Golden* Flesh golden; skin yellow; matures mid-Sept. in Amherst, NY Amherst, NY Seedling selected by John Gordon around 1982 from seed originating from George Slate collection. J. Gordon pers. commun.

Prolific* Fruit 200-225 g; yellow flesh; ripens 1st week of Oct. in MI Bellevue, MI Seedling from Corwin Davis orchard Davis 1986; L. Davis pers. commun.

Propst Early Selected from wild Anon. 1917

Rebecca's Gold* Fruit kidney-shaped, 85-170 g; flesh yellow CA Selected by J.M. Riley in 1974 from Corwin Davis seed J.S. Akin pers. commun.; California Rare Fruit Growers 1982; M. Dolan pers. commun.; Peterson 1991

Rees Flesh pale yellow and of good flavor; not a large fruit size Pleasanton, KS Selected from wild by W. Rees Anon. 1917

Roach Dekalb, MO Selected from wild by J.C. Roach Anon. 1917

SAA-Overleese* Fruit 285 g, rounded shape; flesh yellow; skin green; few seed; matures mid-Oct. in Amherst, NY Amherst, NY Seedling selected by John Gordon around 1982 from 'Overleese' seed. J. Gordon pers. commun.

SAA-Zimmerman* Fruit 170-225 g; few seed; yellow flesh and skin Amherst, NY Seedling selected by John Gordon around 1982 from seed originating from G.A. Zimmerman collection. J. Gordon pers. commun.

Schriber Selected from wild Zimmerman 1938

Scott WV Selected from wild by C.S. Scott Anon. 1917

Shannondale Late to very late maturity Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941

Silver Creek Medium sized fruit Millstedt, IL or Silver Creek, NY J. Gordon pers. commun.; Thomson 1982

Sunflower* Fruit up to 225 g; butter-color flesh; skin yellowish; few seed; ripens 1st week of Oct. in MI Chanute, KS Selected from wild by Milo Gibson around 1970 Davis 1979; Davis 1982; Davis 1983b; Davis 1986

Sweet Alice* Mentor, OH Selected by Homer Jacobs of the Holden Arboretum in 1934 Peterson 1991; Thomson 1982

Talbot Fruit 285 g; flesh yellow; overall quality average Linton, IN Chance seedling selected about 1950 by John Talbot from Corwin Davis seed. R.D. Campbell pers. commun.

Taylor Not the same as 'Taylor' described below; flesh light color, mild flavor; late to very late maturity Selected from wild Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941

Taylor* Small fruit; bears up to 7 fruit in a cluster; yellow flesh, green skin; ripens 1st week of Oct. in MI Eaton Rapids, MI Selected from wild by Corwin Davis in 1968 Davis 1969; Davis 1982; Davis 1983b; Davis 1986; L. Davis pers. commun.

Taytwo* Fruit up to 285 g; begins ripening 10th of Oct. in MI; skin light green when ripe; flesh yellow; sometimes spelled 'Taytoo' Eaton Rapids, MI Selected from wild by Corwin Davis in 1968 Davis 1969; Davis 1982; Davis 1983b; Davis 1986; L. Davis pers. commun.; Mansell 1986

Tiedke Late to very late maturity Selected from wild Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941

Uncle Tom Probably the first named variety on record; ripens mid-Sept. in IN; fruit sets singly and in pairs Cartersburg, IN Selected from wild by J.A. Little around 1896 Little 1905

Van Der Bogart Very similar to PA-Golden; matures mid-Sept. in Ithaca, NY Ithaca, NY Selected by Francis Van Der Bogart around 1970 from seed originating from the G.A. Zimmerman collection. J. Gordon pers. commun.

Vena Possibly the same as 'Talbot' Linton, IN? R.D. Campbell pers. commun.

Wells* Fruit 340-400 g; skin green; flesh orange Salem, IN Selected from wild by David Wells in 1990 Callaway 1991

Wilson* Fruit medium-size; skin yellow; flesh golden On Black Mountain in Harlan County KY Selected from wild by John Creech J. Hickman pers. commun.

Zimmerman G.A. Zimmerman seed Peterson 1991

* These cultivars are commercially available.

Table 3. Suppliers of pawpaw cultivars.

J.S. Akin
Sherwood's Greenhouses
P.O. Box 6
Sibley, LA 71073 Phone: (318) 377-3653
Cultivars: Davis, Mango, Overleese, Rebecca's Gold, Sunflower, Sweet Alice, and Wilson
Send Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope for price list

Annie Black
Hidden Springs Nursery
Rt. 14, Box 159
Cookville, TN 38501 Phone (931) 268-9889
Cultivars: Sunflower and Taylor
Catalog $0.40

Corwin and Letha Davis
20865 Junction Road
Bellevue, MI 49021 Phone (616) 781-7402
Cultivars: Davis, Overleese, Prolific, Sunflower, Taylor, and Taytwo
Include Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope.

Michael Dolan
Burnt Ridge Nursery and Orchards
432 Burnt Ridge Rd.
Onalaska, WA 98570 Phone: (206) 985-2873
Cultivars: Sunflower and Ford Amend
Send Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope for free catalog

J.H. Gordon, Jr.
1385 Campbell Blvd.
Amherst, NY 14228-1404 Phone (716) 691-9371
Cultivars: PA-Golden, SAA-Overleese, and SAA-Zimmerman

Louisiana Nursery
Rt. 7, Box 43
Opelousas, LA 70570 Phone: (318) 948-3696
Cultivars: Mitchell, Overleese, and Wilson.
Catalog $5.00

Northwoods Nursery
28696 S. Cramer Rd.
Molalla, OR 97038 Phone (503) 651-3737
Cultivars: Mary Foos Johnson, Prolific, Rebecca's Gold, Sunflower, and Wells

Oregon Exotics Rare Fruit Nursery
Jerry Black
1065 Messinger Rd.
Grants Pass, OR 97527 Phone: (503) 846-7578
Cultivar: W.L.W. Mason

Robert Seip
Lennilea Farm Nursery
R.D. 1, Box 683
Alburtis, PA 18011 Phone (215) 845-2077
Cultivars: Mango, Sunflower, and Sweet Alice

Fig. 1. Distribution of Asimina triloba in the United States. Source: Alabama (Clark 1971); Arkansas (Smith 1978); Florida (Kral 1960); Georgia (Jones and Coile 1988); Illinois (Mohlenbrock 1981); Indiana (Deam 1940); Iowa (Pammel and King 1930; The Great Plains Flora Association 1977; Stephens 1969); Kansas (The Great Plains Flora Association 1977; Stephens, 1969); Kentucky (Callaway unpublished; Johnson and Nicely, 1990; Kral, 1960); Louisana (Kral 1960); Maryland (Kral 1960); Michigan (Billington 1949); Mississippi (Kral 1960); Missouri (Steyermark 1963); Nebraska (Petersen 1912; The Great Plains Flora Association 1977); New Jersey (Hough 1983); New York (Bowden and Miller 1951); North Carolina (Radford et al. 1968); Ohio (Braun 1961); Oklahoma (Little 1981; The Great Plains Flora Association 1977); Pennsylvania (Bowden and Miller 1951; Kral, 1960); South Carolina (Radford et al. 1968); Tennessee (Kral 1960); Texas (Kral 1960; Simpson 1988); Virginia (Harvill et al. 1977); and West Virginia (Kral 1960).

Fig. 2. Rate of germination over time as influenced by bottom heat (27°C) and acid scarification with 36N sulfuric acid.

Constituent	Range
Proximates (g/100 g)
Ash	0.6-0.7
Carbohydrate	16.8-22.4
Fat	0.6-1.4
Fiber	1.4-3.5
Food energy (Kcal/100 g)	77-89
Protein	0.8-1.4
Water	69.5-77.0
Vitamins (mg/100 g)
A (IU/100 g)	66-1.5
C	7.6-20.9
Niacin	1.1-1.2
Riboflavin	0.09-0.09
Thiamin	0.01-0.01
Minerals (mg/100 g)
Calcium	53-76
Copper	0.4-0.6
Iron	6.8-7.2
Magnesium	109-120
Manganese	2.5-2.6
Phosphorus	43-53
Potassium	314-368
Sulfur	62-78
Zinc	0.9-0.9
Fatty Acids (% of total)
Linoleic	8.1-9.0
Linolenic	16.9-24.4
Oleic	23.3-38.0
Palmitic	18.6-24.4
Palmitoleic	5.8-10.2
Sugars (g/100 g)
Fructose	1.3-2.8
Glucose	1.8-4.0
Sucrose	6.0-13.3
Essential Amino Acids (g/100 g of protein)
Arginine	3.00-3.83
Histidine	1.55-2.19
Isoleucine	4.7-6.8
Leucine	5.8-8.2
Lysine	4.2-6.3
Methionine	0.9-1.4
Phenylalanine	3.7-4.9
Threonine	3.2-4.6
Tryptophan	0.4-0.9
Valine	4.2-6.0

Name	Description	Place of origin	Pedigree	Reference
Arkansas Beauty		AR	Selected from wild	Anon. 1917; Pape 1965
Betty Wirt	Fruit weighs up to 454 g, but averages 160 g	Wirt County, WV	Selected from wild	Bartholomew 1962; Pape 1965
Buckman	White flesh color, mild flavor; late to very late maturity		Selected by B. Buckman	Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941
Cheatwood		Gallia, OH	Selected from wild by J. Cheatwood	Anon. 1917
Cheely		Iuka, IL	Selected from wild by J. Cheely	Anon. 1917
Cox's Favorite			Selected from wild	Anon. 1917
Davis*	Fruit 115 g, up to 12 cm long; yellow-fleshed; ripens 1st week of October in MI; green skin; seed large; keeps well in cold storage	Bellevue, MI	Selected from wild by Corwin Davis around 1959	Brooks and Olmo 1972; Davis 1982; L. Davis pers. commun.
Dr. Potter	Small fruit size; mild flavor; ships fairly well; late maturity; rich yellow flesh	Julietta, IN	Selected from wild by B.S. Potter	Anon. 1917
Duck				Vines 1960
Early Best		IN	Selected from wild by W.C. Stout	Anon. 1917
Early Cluster			Selected from wild	Anon. 1917
Early Gold			Selected from wild	Zimmerman 1938
Endicott		Villa Ridge, IL	Selected from wild by G. Endicott	Anon. 1917
Fairchild	Early maturity		Selected by David Fairchild from 'Ketter' seed	Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941
Ford Amend*	Slightly smaller and earlier than 'Sunflower'; matures late Sept. in OR; flesh orange; skin greenish-yellow	Portland, OR	Selected by Ford Amend around 1950 from a seedling of unknown parentage	M. Dolan pers. commun.
G-2			Zimmerman seed	Peterson 1991
Gable	Late to very late maturity	PA	Selected from wild by J. Gable	Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941
Glaser		Evansville, IN	Selected by P. Glaser	Thomson 1982
Hann		AR	Selected from wild	Anon. 1917
Hengst			Selected from wild	Peterson 1991
Holtwood			Selected from wild by W. Hoopes	Vines 1960
Hope's August	Early maturity	Paint, OH	Selected from wild by A. Hope	Anon. 1917; Zimmerman 1941
Hope's September		Paint, OH	Selected from wild by A. Hope	Anon. 1917
Jumbo	Late to very late maturity			Zimmerman 1941
Kercheval				Pape 1965
Ketter	Matures evenly; skin comparatively thick & tough; does not discolor markedly; flesh medium yellow; mild but rich flavor, neither insipid nor cloying; large yellow fruit; early maturity	Ironton, OH	Selected by Mrs. F. Ketter	Anon. 1917; Zimmerman 1941
Kirsten*		Aliquippa, PA	Tom Mansell seedling 'Taytoo' x 'Overleese'	J.S. Akin pers. commun.
Kurle	Small-medium in size; yellow flesh and skin	MI	Seedling by R. Kurle from 'Davis'	Kurle 1982
Lawvere				Pape 1965
Little Rosie	Small fruit size	Evansville, IN	Selected by R. Glaser	Glaser 1982
Long John			Selected by B. Buckman	Zimmerman 1938
M-1			Selected by J. McKay from 'G-2' seedling	Peterson 1991
Mango*		Tifton, GA	Selected by Major Collins	J. Gordon pers. commun.; Peterson 1991
Martin	Large fruit size (Zimmerman says small size); flesh yellow & of superior quality (Zimmerman says skin tough); withstands cold well	Springfield, OH	Selected from wild by S.C. Martin	Anon. 1917; Zimmerman 1941
Mary Foos Johnson*	Similar to 'Sunflower'; original located at the North Wilamette Expt. Sta., Auroe, OR		Seedling given to North Wilamette Expt. Sta. by Ms. Mary Foos Johnson	Pape 1965
Mason /WLW*		Mason, OH	Selected from wild by E.J. Downing	Peterson 1991
Middletown		Middletown, OH	Selected from wild by E.J. Downing	Peterson 1991
Mitchell*	Fruit medium-size; skin slightly yellow; flesh golden; flavor "superb"	Jefferson Co., IL	Selected from wild by Joe Hickman	J. Hickman pers. commun.
Mudge			Selected from wild	Pape 1965
NC-1*	Fruit 340 g; few seed; yellow flesh and skin; thin skin; early, maturing Sept. 15 in Ontario	Ontario, Canada	Selected by R.D. Campbell around 1976 from 'Davis' x 'Overleese'	R.D. Campbell pers. commun.; L. Davis pers. commun.
Osborne	Late to very late maturity		Selected from wild	Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941
Oswald		Hagerstown, MD	Selected from wild by E. Oswald	Anon. 1917
Overleese*	Fruit 340 g; bears in clusters of 3 to 5; ripens 1st week of Oct. in MI	Rushville, IN	Selected from wild by W.B. Ward around 1950	Davis 1982; Davis 1986; Pape 1965; Peterson 1991
PA-Golden*	Flesh golden; skin yellow; matures mid-Sept. in Amherst, NY	Amherst, NY	Seedling selected by John Gordon around 1982 from seed originating from George Slate collection.	J. Gordon pers. commun.
Prolific*	Fruit 200-225 g; yellow flesh; ripens 1st week of Oct. in MI Bellevue, MI	Seedling from Corwin Davis orchard	Davis 1986; L. Davis pers. commun.
Propst Early			Selected from wild	Anon. 1917
Rebecca's Gold*	Fruit kidney-shaped, 85-170 g; flesh yellow	CA	Selected by J.M. Riley in 1974 from Corwin Davis seed	J.S. Akin pers. commun.; California Rare Fruit Growers 1982; M. Dolan pers. commun.; Peterson 1991
Rees	Flesh pale yellow and of good flavor; not a large fruit size	Pleasanton, KS	Selected from wild by W. Rees	Anon. 1917
Roach		Dekalb, MO	Selected from wild by J.C. Roach	Anon. 1917
SAA-Overleese*	Fruit 285 g, rounded shape; flesh yellow; skin green; few seed; matures mid-Oct. in Amherst, NY	Amherst, NY	Seedling selected by John Gordon around 1982 from 'Overleese' seed.	J. Gordon pers. commun.
SAA-Zimmerman*	Fruit 170-225 g; few seed; yellow flesh and skin	Amherst, NY	Seedling selected by John Gordon around 1982 from seed originating from G.A. Zimmerman collection.	J. Gordon pers. commun.
Schriber			Selected from wild	Zimmerman 1938
Scott		WV	Selected from wild by C.S. Scott	Anon. 1917
Shannondale	Late to very late maturity			Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941
Silver Creek	Medium sized fruit	Millstedt, IL or Silver Creek, NY		J. Gordon pers. commun.; Thomson 1982
Sunflower*	Fruit up to 225 g; butter-color flesh; skin yellowish; few seed; ripens 1st week of Oct. in MI	Chanute, KS	Selected from wild by Milo Gibson around 1970	Davis 1979; Davis 1982; Davis 1983b; Davis 1986
Sweet Alice*		Mentor, OH	Selected by Homer Jacobs of the Holden Arboretum in 1934	Peterson 1991; Thomson 1982
Talbot	Fruit 285 g; flesh yellow; overall quality average	Linton, IN	Chance seedling selected about 1950 by John Talbot from Corwin Davis seed.	R.D. Campbell pers. commun.
Taylor	Not the same as 'Taylor' described below; flesh light color, mild flavor; late to very late maturity		Selected from wild	Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941
Taylor*	Small fruit; bears up to 7 fruit in a cluster; yellow flesh, green skin; ripens 1st week of Oct. in MI	Eaton Rapids, MI	Selected from wild by Corwin Davis in 1968	Davis 1969; Davis 1982; Davis 1983b; Davis 1986; L. Davis pers. commun.
Taytwo*	Fruit up to 285 g; begins ripening 10th of Oct. in MI; skin light green when ripe; flesh yellow; sometimes spelled 'Taytoo'	Eaton Rapids, MI	Selected from wild by Corwin Davis in 1968	Davis 1969; Davis 1982; Davis 1983b; Davis 1986; L. Davis pers. commun.; Mansell 1986
Tiedke	Late to very late maturity		Selected from wild	Zimmerman 1938; Zimmerman 1941
Uncle Tom	Probably the first named variety on record; ripens mid-Sept. in IN; fruit sets singly and in pairs	Cartersburg, IN	Selected from wild by J.A. Little around 1896	Little 1905
Van Der Bogart	Very similar to PA-Golden; matures mid-Sept. in Ithaca, NY	Ithaca, NY	Selected by Francis Van Der Bogart around 1970 from seed originating from the G.A. Zimmerman collection.	J. Gordon pers. commun.
Vena	Possibly the same as 'Talbot'	Linton, IN?		R.D. Campbell pers. commun.
Wells*	Fruit 340-400 g; skin green; flesh orange	Salem, IN	Selected from wild by David Wells in 1990	Callaway 1991
Wilson*	Fruit medium-size; skin yellow; flesh golden	On Black Mountain in Harlan County KY	Selected from wild by John Creech	J. Hickman pers. commun.
Zimmerman			G.A. Zimmerman seed	Peterson 1991

J.S. Akin Sherwood's Greenhouses P.O. Box 6 Sibley, LA 71073	Phone: (318) 377-3653 Cultivars: Davis, Mango, Overleese, Rebecca's Gold, Sunflower, Sweet Alice, and Wilson Send Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope for price list
Annie Black Hidden Springs Nursery Rt. 14, Box 159 Cookville, TN 38501	Phone (931) 268-9889 Cultivars: Sunflower and Taylor Catalog $0.40
Corwin and Letha Davis 20865 Junction Road Bellevue, MI 49021	Phone (616) 781-7402 Cultivars: Davis, Overleese, Prolific, Sunflower, Taylor, and Taytwo Include Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope.
Michael Dolan Burnt Ridge Nursery and Orchards 432 Burnt Ridge Rd. Onalaska, WA 98570	Phone: (206) 985-2873 Cultivars: Sunflower and Ford Amend Send Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope for free catalog
J.H. Gordon, Jr. 1385 Campbell Blvd. Amherst, NY 14228-1404	Phone (716) 691-9371 Cultivars: PA-Golden, SAA-Overleese, and SAA-Zimmerman
Louisiana Nursery Rt. 7, Box 43 Opelousas, LA 70570	Phone: (318) 948-3696 Cultivars: Mitchell, Overleese, and Wilson. Catalog $5.00
Northwoods Nursery 28696 S. Cramer Rd. Molalla, OR 97038	Phone (503) 651-3737 Cultivars: Mary Foos Johnson, Prolific, Rebecca's Gold, Sunflower, and Wells
Oregon Exotics Rare Fruit Nursery Jerry Black 1065 Messinger Rd. Grants Pass, OR 97527	Phone: (503) 846-7578 Cultivar: W.L.W. Mason
Robert Seip Lennilea Farm Nursery R.D. 1, Box 683 Alburtis, PA 18011	Phone (215) 845-2077 Cultivars: Mango, Sunflower, and Sweet Alice