Atwood Pawpaw Description

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Atwood Pawpaw was released by the University of Kentucky. KSU Atwood is the heaviest producing variety tested at the largest pawpaw germplasm repository in the world. Also impressive is it’s medium size 1/4 – 1/2 lb+ fruit and average production of 150 fruits/tree, equaling roughly 40 lbs (about one bushel) of fruit per tree. Fruits have a good, creamy texture, are sweet, yellow fleshed with a burst of tropical fruit flavour and fruity aroma. KSU Atwood also has better than average disease resistance. Atwood Pawpaw is an excellent first release from the KSU pawpaw breeding program. Atwood is a great addition to any pawpaw orchard or farm. 

 

Atwood and other pawpaws are an understory tree with large, beautiful, subtropical foliage, red flowers and sweet, custardy fruits with a unique flavour like banana, mango and cantaloupe! All plants will produce fruit but you need two different plants for cross pollination.

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Pollination: A seedling pawpaw or any other grafted cultivar or seedling pawpaw tree will pollinate it. For good pollination, plant trees 8-15 ft away from each other only. Pawpaws are not male and female, but rather have “male and female” flower parts on each flower. Every tree is capable of bearing fruit if pollinated well with pollen from another genetically different pawpaw tree. Hand pollination results in heaviest fruit set.

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Resistant to: This cultivar shows strong resistance to fruit cracking and leaf spots caused by Phylosticta. Pawpaws are generally remarkably disease and insect resistant. 

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Ripening: Mid Season 

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Site requirements: Full sun location for best fruit production. Pawpaws will grow in shade but produce much less fruit. Pawpaws tolerate a range of soil types provided the planting location is well drained and there is heavy mulch and plenty of fertilizer and water. Protected locations, such as on the South, East or West side of a building is ideal on very windy sites.

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Size at maturity: 15-20′ tall and wide, depending on location, care and pruning to reduce height. We recommend heading them at about 10″ and removing suckers, both of which keep the trees very manageable and small.

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With its large green tropical drooping leaves and dramatic purple brown flowers in spring, the Asimona Triloba "PawPaw" tree has great ornamental appeal as well. Plant in well drained soil and protect from strong winds and grass competition for the first two years.

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Pawpaws (Asimina Triloba) are related to custard apples and cherimoya, in the sugar apple family, and yet they grow in the temperate zone, having moved north as Ice Age glaciers receded. Flavours of mango, melon, banana, raspberry and pineapple come from this creamy fruit. Like many fruits, if you don’t know what you’re doing and you let them get bruised, or you pick them under-ripe they won't taste very good!

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Other pawpaw varieties : Benson, Chappell, Lehmans, Summer Delight, Halvin, Honeydew, Hillbilly, Kentucky Champion, Cantaloupe, Marshmallow, NC1, and Atwood pawpaw trees.