Potomac® Paw Paw

Asimina triloba ‘Potomac’®

This fruit is BIG! Weighing in at 3/4 pound or more, each fruit is a meal in itself. The fruit-to-seed ratio is also impressive, with only 4% of the weight being seed. This variety is a sister to the popular Susquehanna variety, with rich and sweet flesh described by its breeder, Neal Peterson, as “melting, firm and smooth”. Mid-season ripener.

The tree form is unusually upright and without the spreading shape many paw paw trees develop. Hand pollination will increase fruit set, alternatively, adding a small pile of decaying meat to the base of each tree just before blooms open will bring in the flies and beetles that pollinate these unusual trees. Shade from direct sun during first 2 summers – even mature trees may benefit from afternoon shade in hot climates. Also protect young trees from slug and snail damage. Needs 400 chill hours and 2200 Growing Degree Days (GDD) to set and ripen fruit.

Cold Hardy to USDA Zone: 5

Chill Hours Needed: Approximately 400 hours

Mature Height: 10′-15′

Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade in Hot Climates

Ripening Time: Midseason/Fall

Pollination: Need Pollinizer

Click here to read our Paw Paw Growing Guide