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Pennsylvania Golden Pawpaw

Wild and Heirloom

Pennsylvania Golden is a Wild and Heirloom variety, bred by John Gordon, early season, ripening in late September.

Flavor
Classic, strong wild pawpaw flavor
Size
Medium, about 6 oz (170 g)
Seed
Fleshy (~6% seed by weight)
Ripening
Early season, ripening in late September
Productivity
Heavy producer; noted for winter hardiness
Notes
A series of early-ripening selections (No. 1 to No. 4) prized for short-season and cold-winter regions. Yellow-skinned.

What growers say

Pennsylvania Golden pawpaw is one of the better-tasting early varieties, with a classic, strong wild pawpaw flavor; one grower ranks it third behind only Allegheny and Shenandoah. It is really a series of early-ripening selections prized for short-season and cold-winter regions, and growers point to early-ripening varieties like it for the northern cusp of the growing range. It is a heavy producer and ripens early, in late September.

If someone is looking for fruit that will ripen in the Northern cusp of the growing range, varieties such as Summer Delight or Maria's Joy are noted for being early ripening.

Source

PA Golden is one of the better-tasting pawpaws out there. It's my 3rd favorite behind Allegheny and Shenandoah.

Source

Drawn from grower discussions on growingfruit.org

Where to buy Pennsylvania Golden pawpaw trees

Pennsylvania Golden pawpaw is sold out at all 6 nurseries PawpawMap confirmed as of Aug 9, 2026, out of 10 that ship it. Grafted pawpaws sell out fast; get notified when it is back.

Get notified when Pennsylvania Golden is back in stock

Grafted pawpaws sell out fast. PawpawMap watches the nurseries that ship Pennsylvania Golden and will email you the moment it returns to stock. One message per restock, unsubscribe anytime.

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Each line shows the date PawpawMap last confirmed that seller's stock. Spot a listing that is wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Nursery Ships

Edible Landscaping

Afton, VA

Grafted named varieties (sold out) plus Select seedling in stock; orders ship in ~2 weeks.

Nursery Ships

England's Orchard and Nursery

McKee, KY

Grafted pawpaw trees are local pickup only; pawpaw seeds and scionwood available by mail.

Online Ships

Fruitwood Nursery

Orleans, CA

Family permaculture nursery on the Klamath River; mail-orders roughly 39 named pawpaw scionwood cultivars (Mango, Davis, Lehmans Choice, Potomac, Susquehanna and more) with live stock counts.

Nursery Ships

Logee's

Danielson, CT

Mail-order since 1892.

Nursery Ships

One Green World

Portland, OR

Ships seeds and plants to all 50 states; pawpaw varieties currently on email-when-available pre-order.

Nursery Ships

Perry Permaculture

Perry, MI

Grafted pawpaw trees ship in fall (~October); one of two MI Peterson-pawpaw licensees.

Nursery Ships

Raintree Nursery

Morton, WA

Mail-order bare-root/potted; 18+ pawpaw varieties priced, currently sold out.

Nursery

Sleepy Gap Pawpaws

Arden, NC

Grafted Peterson/KSU trees; sells out fast each season.

PricingGrafted trees $45

Nursery Ships

Stark Bro's

Louisiana, MO

13 pawpaw varieties listed, currently out of stock (seasonal).

PricingFree shipping on orders $99+

Related cultivars

Wild and Heirloom

Overleese

Mid to late season, ripening the first week of October in Michigan

Rich, full pawpaw flavor; long valued as a benchmark variety

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Sunflower

Late season, ripening the first week of October in Michigan

Sweet and pleasant; a widely grown classic

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NC-1

Mid season, ripening in late summer to early fall

Sweet and full-flavored with an avocado-like consistency and little bitterness

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Davis

Mid to late season, ripening the first week of October in Michigan

Good, mild pawpaw flavor

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Taytwo

Late season, ripening around October 10 in Michigan

Mild, sweet pawpaw flavor

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Mango

Late season, September to October

Rich, candied-banana flavor with vivid orange-yellow pulp

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Wells

Mid to late September

Reported sweet, but flavor and other traits are not authoritatively documented

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Prolific

Late season, ripening the first week of October in Michigan

Sweet, yellow-fleshed fruit; sets heavily, often without hand pollination

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Taylor

Late season, ripening the first week of October in Michigan

Mild pawpaw flavor; yellow flesh with green skin

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Uncle Tom

Mid season, ripening mid-September in Indiana

Historic selection valued more for its place in pawpaw history than for documented flavor

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Ketter

Early season

Mild but very rich flavor, neither insipid nor cloying; medium-yellow flesh

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Dr. Potter

Late season

Mild flavor; rich yellow flesh

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Buckman

Late to very late season

Mild flavor with white flesh

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Wilson

Mid season, ripening in September in Kentucky

Sweet, banana-pear flavor with a custard texture

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Halvin

Early season, ripening late August in Kentucky

Very sweet and smooth with no aftertaste and a hint of pineapple

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IXL

Late season

Wild and Heirloom

Rebecca's Gold

Mid to late season, ripening September to October

Very sweet and richly flavored

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Lynn's Favorite

Late season, ripening the second week of October in Michigan

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Mary Foos Johnson

Late season, ripening the first week of October in Michigan

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Sweet Alice

Late season, ripening in early October

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Horn's White

Late season

Unusually white, creamy, very sweet flesh with coconut and cherimoya notes

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