How to Grow Pawpaws

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Learning how to grow pawpaws starts with two points the sources support. The native tree can grow from deep shade to full sun, and it needs a second, different tree nearby before it will set fruit. The sources disagree on climate range, planting season and how soon a tree bears, so this guide names the source for each figure. It covers the site, choosing a tree, planting, the first two years, seed, pests, harvest, and what the sources leave open.

Quick answer

Plant in well-drained soil that stays moist. The Purdue guide says “Good drainage is essential to success.”
Keep a young tree watered and partly shaded for its first year or two. Expect fruit roughly three to eight years after planting, depending on whether the tree is grafted and which source you read.
Plant at least two trees of different varieties, because the flowers are self-incompatible.

Pick a site with good drainage

The Oklahoma State University profile says the tree is native to Canada and the eastern United States, where it “grows in deep shade to full sunlight in moist, nutrient-rich forests.” Purdue gives a narrower picture for fruit. It says the tree performs best on full-sun sites with some protection from wind, because of its large leaves. Seedlings are different. Purdue says the young shoot is extremely sensitive to sunlight, so seedlings usually need shade for the first year, and sometimes the second.

Soil matters as much as light. Purdue recommends slightly acid soil, with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0, that is deep, fertile and well drained, and it says “Good drainage is essential to success.” The NC State article gives a narrower pH range of 5.5 to 5.7 and advises a soil sample before planting. The Oklahoma State profile says the soil can be occasionally wet. Purdue is stricter: pawpaws will grow in heavy soils but will not survive waterlogged conditions. A reasonable reading of both is a site that drains after rain and does not hold standing water.

Cold air matters too. The Kentucky State University publication warns that low valley sites have poor air drainage, and that pooling cold air “can lead to spring frost damage to pawpaw flowers” in April and May. The sources do not give a height or distance that avoids that pooling.

Hardiness ranges differ. Purdue says the tree is hardy to zone 5 and needs a minimum of 160 frost-free days. NC State lists zones 5a through 9b, and the Oklahoma State profile lists zones 5 through 9. For the soil volume a planting bed needs, see our raised bed soil guide. If the soil needs more organic matter first, see our guide to making a compost pile.

Choose a tree that fits the planting

Purdue says pawpaws are sold as bare-root and container-grown trees, and that container-grown trees have given the best results. Known cultivars grafted onto seedling rootstocks give the best chance of good fruit quality, according to the same guide. Bare-root trees are not the preferred choice for this species.

Seed-grown trees carry a different risk. The Kentucky State publication says seedlings are not identical to their parents, so fruit quality cannot be guaranteed. Its grafted or budded trees produce high-quality fruit three to five years after planting, while seedlings flower four to eight years after planting. Root suckers from a grafted tree will not be true to the variety and should be removed.

NC State says named grafted cultivars are usually two years old when purchased, and it counts at least 45 cultivars bred for particular traits. Purdue lists four cultivars available commercially in the United States: Overleese, Taytwo, Mary (Foos) Johnson and Sunflower. The Kentucky State publication lists seven varieties recommended from its trials in Kentucky: Sunflower, Overleese, NC-1, Wabash, Shenandoah, Potomac and KSU8-2. This guide does not rank them, and the sources do not say how these varieties perform outside the places where they were tested.

Replanting a root sucker is a poor bet. Purdue says rootsuckers normally have no secondary roots for a great distance from the shoot, so transplanting them usually ends in failure. Seedling trees, by contrast, have been transplanted successfully.

Plant at the right time and space the trees

The sources do not agree on the planting season, so the choice should follow local extension advice. NC State says to plant dormant trees in fall or early spring, and to handle the taproot carefully because it is easily damaged. Purdue is more specific: transplant seedlings in the spring after budbreak, and not in fall or winter. The Kentucky State publication says spring planting in April and May has been more successful there than fall planting.

Spacing varies by purpose. NC State recommends 8 to 15 feet between trees. For an orchard, the Kentucky State publication says to space trees 8 feet apart within rows and 18 feet between rows to promote pollination. For woodland planting, it says 8 to 100 feet apart to optimize pollination and the spread of root suckers.

Plan for at least two trees

Pollination is the main limit on fruit set. Purdue says pawpaw trees are usually self-incompatible, so they need pollen from a genetically different tree. Its natural pollinators, various flies and beetles, are neither efficient nor dependable. Purdue describes hand pollination with a small, flexible brush: move fresh pollen from one tree to the ripe flower of another. Pollen is ripe when the anthers are brown, loose and crumbly.

The Oklahoma State profile gives the rule plainly: “Trees require cross pollination so at least 2 and preferably 3 different varieties should be grown.” The Kentucky State publication adds that fruit set can be low in native patches because of shade, a lack of flies and failed cross pollination.

Purdue also warns against too much fruit. Hand pollination can lead to heavy fruit set, and leaving too much fruit on a tree stresses it, producing small fruit, reduced growth and possible limb breakage.

Water, mulch and feed the first two years

The first years decide how the tree grows. NC State says that “In the first few years after planting, the trees will need an ample amount of water.” Purdue says to keep young trees well watered and partly shaded for the first year or two, after which growth speeds up and trees need little care. The Kentucky State publication says to water and fertilize the trees, especially in the first two years.

Mulch helps. NC State recommends a 6 to 8 inch layer of straw or wood chips for weed control and moisture retention, and it says weed control during establishment lowers pest and disease pressure. The Kentucky State publication says the mulch should extend at least 3 feet from the trunk. Fertilizer rates are not stated in any of the four sources, so check a local soil test or an extension office before you feed a tree.

Grow from seed with patience

Seed is slow. The Kentucky State publication says to keep seed refrigerated in moist peat for at least three months, and it gives the warning that matters most: “Never let pawpaw seed dry out or freeze; this will kill the seed.”

Purdue gives a longer schedule. It says the seed needs a cold period of 90 to 120 days, called stratification, at 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (0 to 5 degrees Celsius), kept in plastic bags with slightly moistened sphagnum moss. After that, sow it in a well-aerated mix with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0 at an optimum temperature of 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Purdue says the root emerges in 18 to 24 days, forms a taproot about 10 inches long, and the shoot appears after 50 to 60 days.

The Kentucky State publication advises tall pots for seed sown in containers, since the taproot grows strongly. Purdue also describes sowing in the garden bed in fall, letting the cold period happen outdoors, with germination the following late July or August.

Pests, wildlife and fruit problems

Purdue calls the pawpaw peduncle borer the worst pest. It describes a small moth larva that burrows into the flower, making it wither and drop, and says in some years it can destroy most of the blossoms. Zebra swallowtail caterpillars feed on young pawpaw leaves, but Purdue says never in great numbers, and the Kentucky State publication says they feed exclusively on pawpaw foliage.

Fruit can have dark patches from a fungus. Purdue says these seldom affect flavor or edibility. It also says deer do not feed on pawpaw leaves, twigs or fruit. The Oklahoma State profile notes that harvesting can be hard because wildlife competes for the fruit. The sources do not name a control product for the borer, and this guide does not recommend one.

Harvest and store the fruit

The Kentucky State publication says fruit ripens from late August to early October, depending on variety, and that a tree ripens its fruit over about two weeks. A pawpaw is ready when it begins to soften, and it can be pulled gently from the tree like a ripe peach. Cutting the stem with pruning shears reduces skin tearing. NC State gives a similar window, August to October.

Storage is short. The Kentucky State publication says fruit keeps five to seven days at room temperature and up to three weeks in the refrigerator. NC State gives the same figures.

Purdue describes the simplest way to eat them: cut each fruit in half and scoop the flesh out with a spoon, since the large seeds separate easily. The Kentucky State publication notes that the orange-yellow pulp can be used in ice cream, wine and pies. Seed-grown trees can give low-quality fruit, sometimes small or with a bitter aftertaste, so the same publication recommends grafted or budded named varieties for fruit production.

Mistakes to avoid

Planting a single tree and expecting fruit. Every source that discusses pollination says the tree needs pollen from a different tree.
Letting seed dry out or freeze during storage. The Kentucky State publication says this kills the seed.
Transplanting a root sucker. Purdue says it usually fails.
Leaving too much fruit on a young tree. Purdue says it stresses the tree and reduces growth.
Planting in waterlogged soil. Purdue says the tree will not survive waterlogged conditions.
Keeping root suckers from a grafted tree. The Kentucky State publication says they are not true to the variety and should be removed.

How we chose

This guide uses four pages that describe growing pawpaws: the Purdue University Cooperative Extension guide, hosted on the Cornell Cooperative Extension site for Tompkins County; the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension publication; the NC State Cooperative Extension article from Wilkes County; and the Oklahoma State University Extension profile. We opened each one on 2026-10-23 and kept statements the page itself makes. Where two pages differ, we show both. The Purdue guide is marked as reviewed in April 2001 and the Kentucky State publication was created in October 2009, so older figures may be out of date. The Oklahoma State profile carries no date.

What we could not verify

We could not check the figures in these pages against current nursery stock or current research. The four pages do not give cultivar performance data for the regions where most readers will plant. We did not open any nursery, seller or cultivar listing for this guide, and no product is recommended here.

What the sources do not say

The sources do not give a fertilizer rate, a soil test threshold or a pruning schedule. The four pages disagree on the best planting season and on hardiness zones, and this guide does not settle either disagreement. The Oklahoma State profile gives no growing advice beyond its summary. None of the pages says how a grafted tree performs through a cold winter.

Frequently asked questions

Can a pawpaw grow in full shade?

It can grow in shade. The Oklahoma State profile says it grows from deep shade to full sunlight, but the Kentucky State publication says fruit production is greatest in full sun. Seedlings need shade for their first year, and Purdue says sometimes the second.

Does a pawpaw need another tree to bear fruit?

Every source that addresses the question says yes. Purdue says pawpaws are usually self-incompatible, and the Oklahoma State profile recommends at least two, and preferably three, different varieties.

How long does a pawpaw take to bear fruit?

The answer depends on the tree. NC State says fruit comes four to eight years after planting. The Kentucky State publication says grafted trees produce high-quality fruit three to five years after planting, and Purdue says fruit production usually begins after five to seven years.

When is the best time to plant a pawpaw?

The sources differ. NC State says fall or early spring, while the tree is dormant. Purdue says spring after budbreak, and not in fall or winter. The Kentucky State publication says spring planting in April and May has been more successful than fall planting. A local extension office can help you choose between these views.

Can you start a pawpaw from seed?

Yes, but it takes patience and a cold period first. The Kentucky State publication says to keep seed refrigerated for at least three months, and Purdue gives a range of 90 to 120 days. Seed-grown trees vary in fruit quality, so the sources recommend grafted trees for fruit production.

Bottom line

Give a pawpaw a site that drains well, plant at least two trees of different varieties, and keep the young tree watered and partly shaded while its roots settle in.

Sources

https://ccetompkins.org/resources/growing-paw-paws (opened 2026-10-23)
https://www.kysu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ForestPawpawPBI-0031.pdf (opened 2026-10-23)
https://wilkes.ces.ncsu.edu/news/establishing-a-pawpaw-tree-in-your-backyard/ (opened 2026-10-23)
https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/oklahoma-proven/plant-profiles/pawpaw (opened 2026-10-23)