roosterstraw
5 year old buck +
I recently bought some property and wondering what kind of tree this is? I figure it’s some sort of pear or persimmon but can’t seem to verify through pictures on google.
Tree Identification
- Thread starter roosterstraw
- Start date
roosterstraw
5 year old buck +
Thanks. I would have never figured that one out. Will deer eat the fruit from these trees? I don’t know much about them.
ghilliehunter
5 year old buck +
Rooster,
When those paw paws turn yellowish and brown, pick them and put in the refrigerator. When cold, cut in half and spoon out the fruit to eat. Throw the seeds back in the area of the trees.
PS, timing is everything, the coons like them too!
roosterstraw
5 year old buck +
Thanks for the advice. Looking forward to trying them, that is if I can to them before the coons.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Pawpaw is the largest fruit native to Virginia. Deer, turkey and about everything else in the woods loves the fruit when it is ripe. Deer generally don't bother the foliage. They are custard like. You can find them used in desert in very high end restaurants when they are in season. They have a very short shelf-life so you don't find the fruit sold in grocery stores. It is not uncommon to find the large pawpaw seeds in the crops of turkeys. They are a great tree to have on your property.
The fact that they are fruiting says you have more than one tree as they are not self fertile. The flowers are beautiful but stink like rotting flesh in the spring. Their strategy is to attract flies for pollination.
Thanks,
Jack
The fact that they are fruiting says you have more than one tree as they are not self fertile. The flowers are beautiful but stink like rotting flesh in the spring. Their strategy is to attract flies for pollination.
Thanks,
Jack
Last edited:
j-bird
Moderator
Just a word of advice on eating the pawpaw.....you want them to be soft, (they will be almost black - like a rotten banana) and the part you will eat will be a dark mustard color....it will have a custard taste....or a grossly bitter taste. The coons here get to them far before one ever hits the ground. The trees are pretty weak and will often times be snapped off from the coons climbing them for the fruit. I saw I have a few growing the other day....some folks plant them for deer...I just have them naturally and have never really seem them for much use from a deer management perspective.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
I agree. They add variety and for a very short period when ripe, deer hammer them. But just like Asian persimmons (lotus and kaki), that is only if you have enough fruit volume to satisfy coons and other climbing creatures. I grew some from seed knowing this. It is a cheap addition to variety when grown from seed. They are typically an understory tree and don't produce much fruit in the understory. They are photosensitive for the first few years and need to be protected from the sun until then. I understand they fruit much better when they get full sun. I planted mine for a combination of wildlife and personal use. My trees are still young and have not yet fruited. The best are now near the top of 5' cages. Time will tell how well they work. They are native to my general area so it always nice to plant a tree that is native and has good wildlife value.
Thanks,
Jakc
