Name: Pawpaw (250-39) | Fruit Trees
Price: 39.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Pawpaw (250-39)

$39.99

250-39 is the big one, carrying fruit of 10 to 14 oz as a matter of course and up to two pounds at its best. Growers know it as Jerry’s Big Girl.

First place twice in the Ohio Pawpaw Festival tasting contest.
Heavy production, and it took the biggest pawpaw prize in 2014.
Smooth custard flesh and a tropical flavor closer to mango than apple.
A numbered selection from Jerry Lehman’s Indiana breeding work.
Needs a second, genetically distinct pawpaw to set fruit.

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Arrives healthy, guaranteed. Problem within 14 days? Send a photo and we replace it or credit you.

Ships in 1 to 4 business days from our nursery in Washington state, in a 36 inch box.

Description

Pawpaw growers chase fruit size, because a large pawpaw is a meal and a small one is a mouthful. 250-39 carries fruit of 10 to 14 oz as a matter of course, with the occasional one reaching two pounds, and it has gone by the nickname Jerry’s Big Girl ever since it started turning up at festival judging tables.

Size is not the whole of it. It took first place in the best pawpaw tasting contest at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival in 2013 and again in 2017, and the biggest pawpaw contest in 2014, which is a rare combination: size and flavor usually pull against each other. The flesh is smooth custard, sweet and tropical.

Overview

Fruit of 10 to 14 oz as standard, up to two pounds at best.
First place twice in the Ohio Pawpaw Festival tasting contest.
Smooth custard flesh with a tropical, mango-like sweetness.
A numbered Jerry Lehman selection, known as Jerry’s Big Girl.

Growing Details

Latin Name: Asimina triloba ‘250-39’
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; well-drained soil with steady moisture
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 5
Rootstock: Grafted onto pawpaw seedling rootstock
Bearing Age: 3 to 5 years after planting
Size at Maturity: 15 to 20 ft tall and wide, manageable with light pruning
Ripening Time: Mid season; September into October
Pollination: Needs a second, genetically distinct pawpaw within about 30 ft
Pests & Diseases: Few problems; deer and most insects leave the foliage alone

Additional Notes

Grower’s Insight: Thin the young fruit if the tree sets a heavy crop. A pawpaw that carries everything it sets gives you more fruit and smaller fruit.
Regional Insight: Pawpaw wants warm summers to finish its fruit, and young trees do best with some shade for their first two years before they take full sun.
Explore more pawpaw trees in our collection: Pawpaw Trees

Planting & Care

At a Glance – 250-39 Pawpaw

Sun: 1/2 day to full day of sun
Soil: Well-drained soil that never dries out hard
Water: Steady moisture, especially for the first two summers
Size: 15 to 20 ft tall and wide, manageable with light pruning
Pollination: Needs a second, genetically distinct pawpaw within about 30 ft
Harvest: Early fall
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 5

Planting & Care – 250-39 Pawpaw

Site Selection

Full sun ripens the heaviest crops once the tree is established.
Give young trees light shade for their first two years.
Shelter from hard wind; the leaves are large and tear.

Soil Preparation

Well-drained ground that stays evenly moist suits it best.
Work in compost, and mulch to hold that moisture steady.

Planting Instructions

Dig a hole twice the width of the root ball and no deeper.
Handle the roots gently; pawpaw roots are brittle and resent disturbance.
Keep the graft union a few inches clear of the soil line.
Backfill, firm gently, and water thoroughly.

Watering & Fertilizing

Never let a young tree dry out; that is the commonest cause of loss.
Water deeply through the first three summers.
Feed lightly in early spring once it is growing away.

Pollination

Needs a second, genetically distinct pawpaw within about 30 ft.
Pawpaws are pollinated by flies and beetles, not bees; the trees must be close.
A soft brush moved between two trees at bloom lifts the set a long way.

Pruning & Training

Pawpaw needs very little; take out damaged or crossing wood in late winter.
Thin heavy clusters so the tree carries fewer, larger fruit.

Harvest & Use

Pick when the fruit softens and comes away at a touch.
Eat fresh with a spoon, or freeze the pulp for baking.

General Tips

Ripe fruit keeps only a few days; refrigerate it or freeze the pulp.
Deer ignore the foliage, which is rare in a fruit tree.

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