PawPaws

Laura at the Punk Rock Garden blog informs us that there is going to be a pawpaw tasting this weekend (9/19 and 9/20) in York County at the Gardener of the Owl Valley Nursery. Pawpaws are a native fruit tree, with a fruit tasting something like a cross between a banana and a mango. Here are some fact sheets on growing them. From Purdue, and from Virginia Tech. Our friend, Mike McConkey of Edible Landscapes in Virginia sells them on-line. You’ll need two different varieties for cross-pollination purposes, and they like moist, well-drained soil. They are the larval host plant for the zebra swallowtail butterfly, so great for attracting them to your property.