Paw Paws are an understory tree around here. They have huge leaves, liver red flowers in spring that smell like rotten meat and are pollinated by flies, and a sort of edible yellowish green fruit in late summer. When ripe and soft, the paw paws fall off, and are usually eaten by insect or animals before people find them. The inside of the fruit contains a custard-like soft pulp, that has a good sweet flavor a bit like a mango, and a large number (~10) of large brown seeds. The seeds must be pretty successful; the woods behind our house are full of young Paw Paws trees, although very few of them bear fruit.
Of course, the best thing about Paw Paws is the Paw Paw song...
I've just this August and September become a pawpaw aficionado. Around here they grow wild along the stream banks of various tributaries of Bull Run, to include Cub Run and Flatlick Branch here in Fairfax County, Virginia within walking distance of my home. I've found several places where delicious 4" to 6" inch fruit may be easily gathered as either groundfalls or by shaking the trees (watch your head!) We in Fairfax County are fortunate that Cub Run and Flatlick Branch stream valleys are owned by the County and are being preserved in largely their natural state except for numerous asphalt trails, maintained by the County, which criss-cross these areas and provide ready access to the pawpaw trees. A bounty of nature to include mulberries, blackberries, blackcap raspberries, pawpaws, and persimmons are to be found in these county preserves. P.S. I enjoyed the rendition of the Pawpaw Song. I'm currently drinking a Pawpaw Gin and Tonic-- substitute some pawpaw pulp for the lime slices!
ReplyDelete