I found this in the Great Dismal Swamp

[WDH]

I found this plant growing on a true organic muck in North Carolina just south of the Virginia line in the Great Dismal Swamp (aptly named ).

It fooled me, maybe it will fool you too ;D.  What is it?









First hint:  It can be a small shrub, but it can also grow to be a tree 6" or more in diameter on the right site.

[Lanier_Lurker]

Looks like an Alnus of some sort.

[SwampDonkey]

Looks like an Alnus of some sort.

Only if the buds are stocked, doubly serrate leaf margins and triangular shaped pith. ;D

[SwampDonkey]

The leaves are interesting, almost as if the plant rose from a sucker or stump sprout. I never seen a leaf tip recessed like that. Kinda leaning toward pawpaw myself.

[WDH]

 







PawPaw is right!  They were tasty, too ;D

[SwampDonkey]

Nice! Some of'm look like the size of a Kosher Dill.  ;D

[tyb525]

I've heard we have pawpaw's around here, never seen any first hand though. I hope I get the chance to try one sometime.

[pigman]

I have not seen any PawPaws since I was a kid. We had some on the farm where I grew up. I remember the trees were  large, but to a 5 year old a 6 inch tree seems large. ;D

[Dave Shepard]

Does pawpaw compare to any other fruit? If not, can you describe it? ;D


Dave

[WDH]

Texture is like a very ripe banana.  The taste is a combo of banana, mango, and cantaloupe.  The taste is very distinctive, unique, and very good.  They have large flat seeds that about the size and shape of a lima bean. 

These are by far the largest pawpaws that I have ever ran across.  I could have picked up a bushel  basket full. 

[SwampDonkey]

It's one of them tropical fruit trees turned temperate. :D I never ate one, but WDH describes it pretty much like Peterson does in the field guide, "false banana". I don't see it in the Dendro textbook. It's what they call a member of the custard apple family. Tastes like custard I guess.

[OneWithWood]

Harvested some paw paw Saturday during the field day.  What a treat!

When I was a kid, living in Elizabeth City, NC, we would skip school on occasion and wander into the Great Dismal as far as we could without getting lost.  Jumping from log to log trying to keep from getting wet or landing on a log with a cottonmouth! 

_{I should have just said when I used to live in...  I am still a kid}

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I like Paw Paw, the bears around my WV place will knock a tree over to get to the fruit.

definatly messy to eat 

[Bro. Noble]

We used to have a neighbor that made wine out of just about anything.  On occasion I was talked into giving her my opinion on the different wines that she produced.  Although I'm not a drinker anymore,  I'll have to admit that my favorite way to consume pa-paws is from a wineglass.  We have a fair crop this year.  I don't think anyone has mentioned the aroma of pa-paws.  The best way for me to find them is by the sweet smell.  You can smell them from 20 or 30 yards off.

[WDH]

Where, oh where,
Is dear little Nellie?
Where, oh where,
Is dear little Nellie?
Where, oh where,
Is dear little Nellie?
Way down yonder
In the pawpaw patch.

Come on, boys,
Let's go find her.
Come on, boys,
Let's go find her,
Come on, boys,
Let's go find her,
Way down yonder
In the pawpaw patch.

Picking up pawpaws,
Puttin' 'em in your pocket,
Picking up pawpaws,
Puttin' 'em in your pocket,
Picking up pawpaws,
Puttin' 'em in your pocket,
Way down yonder
In the pawpaw patch.

[pigman]

This is One With Wood's paw paw tree we saw at his field day.

[tyb525]

I'll have to conduct a search for those in my woods..

[WDH]

OWW,

That is a nice pawpaw tree!

[OneWithWood]

Linnea went out to gather the remaining fruits yesterday.  There was only one left on the tree.  The ones that fell to the ground had been consumed and only groupings of seed remained.  She said it saves her the chore of removing the fruit.  She is only interested in the seed  :

[Weekend_Sawyer]

 
But what does she do with the seeds? ???

[Dan_Shade]

Had the seeds been previously consumed? ;D

[OneWithWood]

She plants the seeds and sells the seedlings at the local farmer's market.  The seedlings sell out in no time. 

[Dan_Shade]

what time of year should the seedlings be planted?

[OneWithWood]

Now is the time.

[Dodgy Loner]

As a general rule, the best time of year to plant a seed is the time of year that the seed is hitting the ground ;).