What Is This?

[Kayser]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one that didn't find any paw paws this year. I guess the drought had something to do with it?

[Blazerman]

Kayser, i was thinking the same thing.

[Kelroy]

I haven't noticed any either, but I haven't been looking specifically for them. I do know I didn't get squat for blackberries this year.

[jdmidwest]

I was thinking paw paw too, but I really don't see many of them anymore. It has been a few years since I have seen any fruit. Something has changed and there are not many of them here in SEMo anymore.

Buckeye is pretty common, this time of year they will sometimes have small tan pods that contain the buckeye seed. In MO they don't really seem to get very big and they are an understory tree also. In spring they will have red flowers on them.

[junkman]

I looked for them this year but like others have said. didn't find a one.

[Outside Bend]

I was able to find a few ripe ones around Perryville this year, pretty tasty. If you crush the leaves they'll smell like green peppers.

[NoLuck]

Most of the paw paw trees I've seen are in creek bottoms or low lying areas. Didn't the OP say they were at the tops of ridges?? I have never seen them anywhere but in the bottoms.

[junkman]

I have seen them on top of hills but they had been planted. Not all paw paws are created equal in my book. Most are pretty rich tasting for my liking, can only eat maybe one. But I was in some deep bottoms one time and found a tree that were very good. I stood there and ate two no problem. always told myself I should have marked it and as well found some seedlings. Take the seedlings home and then in the winter, go get some graft wood from the marked tree.but never happened. Some nursery catalogs list some of the better varieties for sale.

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, paw paws are seldom on the upper parts of ridges, they are more of a tree of deeper, richer soils. The leaves are big, 8-12 inches long.

We like to try different recipes for various wild fruits and berries, and one time we made paw paw bread. It was absolutely delicious, BUT I found out a couple hours later that if you eat too much, it's a very good laxative!

[tjulianc]

I saw a paw paw grove by a stream I like to wade fish here in northwest Arkansas this summer, and they were loaded with fruit. Might be too late to go back and get some now. I figure the various wildlife has already eaten them by now.

I also hear they make good ice cream, basically do the same things as you would with bananas. My father-in-law tells a pretty funny story about finding a patch on the way to school when he was a youngster. He ended up getting full on them, and finding out the same thing Al did.