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| VIVID GREEN EDIBLE FRUIT PRODUCED BY PAWPAW TREE | |
| Published: November 22, 1997 | |
Delicious banana or custard-like flavor has a tropical tasteQ:Will the pawpaw tree fruit here? Do you have information regarding care of this tree?A:Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is one of the few species of fruit trees native to North America. Although it usually grows to about 12 feet in this area, it does sometimes reach a height of 30 feet. As a result, pawpaw is reported to be the tallest fruit-bearing tree native to the U.S.Deciduous, cold-hardy and shade-tolerant, the understory trees are ornamental with dark-maroon flowers which bloom in March before drooping, shiny leaves are produced. The flowers are followed by bunches of bright-green edible fruit in June or July. Bill Fontenot reports that the fruits are delicious to humans and wildlife alike. Although seen more often in the wild than in landscaping, pawpaws are being noticed more by home gardeners and landscapers, and are becoming more available commercially. At least two different cultivars must be nearby for fruiting to occur. Horticulturists Drs. Odenwalt and Taylor recommend the cultivars Overleese, Taylor, Taytwo and Mitchell for the South. Prairie Basse and other native plant nurseries may have pawpaw trees available. If not, Denyse Cummins has passed on the address of a catalog from which the plants can be ordered: Sonoma Antique Apple Nursery, 4395 Westside Rd., Healdsburg, Cal. 95448. Raising caneQ:I am moving to a new subdivision with a small yard and no trees. I had wanted to plant a corner with bamboo to make the yard feel "foresty" and help attract birds which we enjoy feeding. My question is how to propagate bamboo? I was able to secure a few cuttings and I have been trying to root them in water with no success. Can you help?A:The most common and most hardy bamboo species in the area is hedge bamboo (Bambusa glaucescens) which forms thick clumps to ten feet across, with a height range of 10-20 feet, and produces yellow-green canes and foliage. The canes are -inches in diameter.Hedge bamboo grows best in full-sunlight to partial shade, in distinct clumps, which are easily propagated by division in the early spring. If divisions are not available, nursery plants may be divided in halves or fourths depending on size, and planted in February or March. Fishpole or golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) is a running, rather than clumping type. The golden stems grow taller, to 30 feet, and the diameter of the canes is one and 7/8 inches. Running types are propagated by lifting the youngest rhizomes in early spring, cutting them into three to four-node pieces, and resetting these immediately at a depth of five inches. Because either type grows very large, and it is difficult to limit spreading and to eradicate either, it is likely that bamboo plants will take over your whole garden. Consider using instead more manageable plants that are attractive and are also favorites of birds. One tree-form ligustrum or cherry laurel, a tree-form holly, some berrying nandinas, a coral honeysuckle on a support, a perennial Mexican bush sage, and chinese hibiscus and lantana in pots will produce a charming landscape and attract many birds to your yard. More on shell gingerQ:In order to ensure that my shell ginger wont freeze back, would it be okay to pot it and keep it inside during freezes?A:Denyse concurs: "Fine, but not inside the house. Keep it in a cool protected spot like a garage." |