Pawpaw Cultivars
Named pawpaw varieties bred and selected for flavor, size, and reliable fruiting. Each profile below pulls its traits from authoritative horticultural sources and points you to a nursery that sells it.
★ Widely available, carried by many nurseries
Peterson Pawpaws
7 VARIETIES- ★ Allegheny Introduced2003
Sweet, creamy banana-custard flavor with a hint of citrus
- Ripens
- Early to mid
- Size
- to 8 oz
- Seed
- ~8% seed
Sold by 10 nurseries - ★ Potomac Introduced2003
Sweet and smooth with a rich taste
- Ripens
- Mid to late
- Size
- 8.3–12 oz
- Seed
- ~4% seed
Sold by 14 nurseries - Rappahannock Introduced2003
Sweet and refreshing with a simple, not-too-strong character
- Ripens
- Early to mid
- Size
- Large
- Seed
- ~3-6% seed
Sold by 8 nurseries - ★ Shenandoah Introduced2003
Mild, sweet and mellow with a custardy texture; an easy introduction to pawpaw for new tasters
- Ripens
- Mid
- Size
- 5.3 oz
- Seed
- ~6-7% seed
Sold by 14 nurseries - ★ Susquehanna Introduced2003
Rich and very sweet with a firm, almost buttery texture and a strong pawpaw character
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- 6.5 oz
- Seed
- ~3-5% seed
Sold by 16 nurseries - ★ Tallahatchie Introduced2017
Sweet with a well-balanced, complex flavor, a pleasant aroma and floral notes
- Ripens
- Mid to late
- Size
- 9 oz
- Seed
- ~5% seed
Sold by 10 nurseries - Wabash Introduced2003
Sweet with excellent, complex flavor
- Ripens
- Mid
- Size
- 6.5 oz
- Seed
- ~6% seed
Sold by 9 nurseries
Kentucky State University
3 VARIETIES- ★ KSU-Atwood Introduced2009
Rich, sweet, banana-like flavor
- Ripens
- Mid
- Size
- 7 oz
- Seed
- ~10% seed
Sold by 12 nurseries - ★ KSU-Benson Introduced2016
Appealing mango, banana and pineapple-like flavor
- Ripens
- Early to mid
- Size
- 6 oz
- Seed
- ~6% seed
Sold by 12 nurseries - ★ KSU-Chappell Introduced2018
Creamy, sweet, mild banana-pineapple flavor with floral notes
- Ripens
- Mid
- Size
- 7.5 oz
- Seed
- ~6% seed
Sold by 10 nurseries
England's Orchard Introductions
8 VARIETIES- Cantaloupe
Tropical melon-like flavor that tastes as the name suggests, with a trace of banana
- Ripens
- Mid
- Size
- 11 oz
Sold by 2 nurseries - Honeydew
Tropical melon-like flavor that can taste similar to a honeydew melon, with a trace of banana
- Ripens
- Mid
- Size
- 10 oz
Sold by 4 nurseries - Kentucky Champion
Sweet with a subtle tartness likened to pineapple or raspberry; firm, golden-orange flesh with a melon note and a pleasant lingering aftertaste
- Ripens
- Very early
- Size
- 8 oz
- Seed
- ~8% seed
Sold by 7 nurseries - Kentucky Legend
Very good, similar to Sunflower, with a firm texture
- Ripens
- Mid to late
- Size
- 13 oz
- Seed
- ~4% seed
Sold by 3 nurseries - Mango x Wabash
Firm flesh with a strong yellow color break and a color similar to Wabash
- Ripens
- Early
- Size
- Medium-large
Sold by 2 nurseries - Marshmallow
Tropical melon-like flavor with a trace of banana; the sweetest of the three freestones
- Ripens
- Mid
- Size
- 9 oz
Sold by 4 nurseries - Summer Delight
Delicious, smooth-textured flesh with few seeds and a mild aftertaste
- Ripens
- Very early
- Size
- 8–12 oz
- Seed
- Fleshy
Sold by 6 nurseries - Tropical Treat Introduced2015
Tastes like mango with a hint of pineapple; widely regarded as one of the best-tasting pawpaws on the market
- Ripens
- Early
- Size
- 6–11 oz
- Seed
- Large seed (ratio unmeasured)
Sold by 5 nurseries
Lehman Selections
2 VARIETIESRed Fern Farm Selections
1 VARIETYWild and Heirloom
24 VARIETIES- Buckman
Mild flavor with white flesh
- Ripens
- Late to very late
Profile & sources - Davis Introduced1959
Good, mild pawpaw flavor
- Ripens
- Mid to late
- Size
- 4 oz
- Seed
- Large seed (ratio unmeasured)
Sold by 4 nurseries - Dr. Potter
Mild flavor; rich yellow flesh
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- Small
Profile & sources - Halvin
Very sweet and smooth with no aftertaste and a hint of pineapple
- Ripens
- Early
- Size
- 8–14 oz
- Seed
- ~10% seed
Sold by 2 nurseries - Horn's White
Unusually white, creamy, very sweet flesh with coconut and cherimoya notes
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- 12 oz
Sold by 1 nursery - IXL
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- 12 oz
Sold by 1 nursery - Ketter
Mild but very rich flavor, neither insipid nor cloying; medium-yellow flesh
- Ripens
- Early
- Size
- Large
Profile & sources - Lynn's Favorite
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- Medium-large
Profile & sources - ★ Mango Introduced1970
Rich, candied-banana flavor with vivid orange-yellow pulp
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- Large
Sold by 10 nurseries - Mary Foos Johnson
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- 8 oz
- Seed
- Fleshy
Profile & sources - Mitchell
- Size
- 4 oz
- Seed
- ~6-7% seed
Profile & sources - ★ NC-1 Introduced1976
Sweet and full-flavored with an avocado-like consistency and little bitterness
- Ripens
- Mid
- Size
- 6–12 oz
- Seed
- ~6% seed
Sold by 16 nurseries - ★ Overleese Introduced1950
Rich, full pawpaw flavor; long valued as a benchmark variety
- Ripens
- Mid to late
- Size
- 6 oz
- Seed
- ~6% seed
Sold by 12 nurseries - ★ Pennsylvania Golden Introduced1986
Classic, strong wild pawpaw flavor
- Ripens
- Early
- Size
- 6 oz
- Seed
- ~6% seed
Sold by 12 nurseries - ★ Prolific
Sweet, yellow-fleshed fruit; sets heavily, often without hand pollination
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- 7–8 oz
Sold by 10 nurseries - Rebecca's Gold
Very sweet and richly flavored
- Ripens
- Mid to late
- Size
- 3–6 oz
- Seed
- Fleshy
Sold by 4 nurseries - SAA-Zimmerman
- Size
- 6–8 oz
- Seed
- Fleshy
Sold by 1 nursery - ★ Sunflower Introduced1970
Sweet and pleasant; a widely grown classic
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- to 8 oz
- Seed
- ~8% seed
Sold by 13 nurseries - Sweet Alice
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- Medium
Profile & sources - Taylor Introduced1967
Mild pawpaw flavor; yellow flesh with green skin
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- 3.8 oz
Sold by 3 nurseries - Taytwo Introduced1968
Mild, sweet pawpaw flavor
- Ripens
- Late
- Size
- to 10 oz
- Seed
- Seedier
Sold by 7 nurseries - Uncle Tom
Historic selection valued more for its place in pawpaw history than for documented flavor
- Ripens
- Mid
Profile & sources - Wells Introduced1990
Reported sweet, but flavor and other traits are not authoritatively documented
- Ripens
- Mid to late September
Sold by 4 nurseries - Wilson
Sweet, banana-pear flavor with a custard texture
- Ripens
- Mid
- Size
- 3 oz
- Seed
- ~10% seed
Profile & sources
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