Plotting pawpaw places

[Brendan von Buckingham]

If you see one of these, could you please let me know where you saw it. They tend to be near waterways. I’ve found them on Roosevelt Island, Malcolm X Ave SE (between Congress Heights and Bolling AFB, and Scott Run. I hear they might be along Holmes Run. Fruits are are palm-size and like a stubby banana.
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Best trees are only about 20 feet tall with really big paddle shaped leaves. Grow in patches as an understory tree.
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[KayakCyndi]

Just ride out the canal. Paw paw adore water and grow with abandon along the canal. The section btwn anglers and Riley’s lock has tons of them.

[KLizotte]

I’d never heard of pawpaws before. Did a little internet research and came up with this gem of an article about them:
http://www.nwfoodnews.com/2011/10/14/in-awe-of-the-pawpaw/

Is it possible to pick some around here in the wild or are they too high up to reach w/o a ladder?

[hozn]

In season you may be able to also find them at your local farmer’s market. They had them in Westover last year, anyway. I decided it reminds me of coer de beuf (not sure what fruit that is in English / too lazy to research) which I associate with childhood illness, so I am not a fan.

[vvill]

@hozn 119477 wrote:

In season you may be able to also find them at your local farmer’s market. They had them in Westover last year, anyway. I decided it reminds me of coer de beuf (not sure what fruit that is in English / too lazy to research) which I associate with childhood illness, so I am not a fan.

Custard apples perhaps?

Having grown up with easy access to tropical fruit (and with parents from the tropics), I don’t mind paw-paw/papaya. Not really a huge fan of durian although I don’t despise it either. These are the best though imo:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygium_samarangense

[hozn]

That sounds right, vvill; thanks!

[notlost]

@KLizotte 119475 wrote:

I’d never heard of pawpaws before. Did a little internet research and came up with this gem of an article about them:
http://www.nwfoodnews.com/2011/10/14/in-awe-of-the-pawpaw/

Is it possible to pick some around here in the wild or are they too high up to reach w/o a ladder?

It’s very possible to pick them around here in the wild when they’re in season. Just give the tree a little shake!

[Brendan von Buckingham]

@KLizotte 119475 wrote:

I’d never heard of pawpaws before. Did a little internet research and came up with this gem of an article about them:
http://www.nwfoodnews.com/2011/10/14/in-awe-of-the-pawpaw/

Is it possible to pick some around here in the wild or are they too high up to reach w/o a ladder?

A great thing about pawpaws is that they mostly only fall when they’re ripe. If you see one, shake the tree. If it falls, it’s ripe, or close to it. I’ve found that if I bring them home and put them in a closed tupperware container, they’re ready to eat when the container smells like a watermelon jolly rancher.

[Author]

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