Chappell Pawpaw Description

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KSU Chappell is an impressive new cultivar developed by Kentucky State University. Outstanding flavour, texture, and beautiful, large fruits.  Very fast growing. Chappell is a must-have pawpaw cultivar! Formerly called KSU 4-1. The flesh is thick and custardy with an exceptional, exotic fruity aroma, honeyed sweetness and fruity flavour. Fruits average around 8-12 ounces with some larger ones around 1 pound. Trees are very vigorous, strong and extremely fast growing with large, healthy foliage. It might be the fastest growing pawpaw cultivar available. It is considered one of the best tasting pawpaws. Other pawpaw varieties from KSU include Benson Pawpaws and Atwood Pawpaws.

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KSU Chappell has become one of the favourite cultivars. It truly stands out in terms of vigour, fast growth and outstanding quality of fruit. They can to get about 5 ft tall in 2 seasons from planting a regular sized tree.

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Pollination: A seedling pawpaw or any other grafted or seedling pawpaw tree will pollinate. 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.

Resistant to: 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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Pawpaws can bloom for up to 4 weeks, but without hand pollination, fruit set can be low because bees do not pollinate the flowers, flies and beetles do. In the UK, chances of fruit set are greatly improved by hand pollination of two seperate varieties.

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Chappell Pawpaw 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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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! Pawpaws like Kansas State University (KSU)  Chappelle Pawpaw originate from the Eastern United States and Eastern Southern Canada.