Pawpaw
Can I Grow Pawpaw (Shenandoah)?
Shenandoah is a premium pawpaw cultivar with large fruit, small seeds, and intense tropical flavor — like banana custard with mango notes. It's one of the best-tasting native American fruits.
Growing Requirements
Chill Hours
400
Hardiness Zones
5-6-7-8
Harvest
September to October
Results
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Pruning dates, harvests, spray schedules, what worked. The gardeners who get the most from their trees are the ones who kept records.
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About Pawpaw (Shenandoah)
Shenandoah is a premium pawpaw cultivar with large fruit, small seeds, and intense tropical flavor — like banana custard with mango notes. It's one of the best-tasting native American fruits.
Pawpaw (Shenandoah) requires 400 chill hours — the number of hours between 32°F and 45°F during winter dormancy. Without enough chill, the tree may fail to flower properly or produce poor fruit.
⚠️ Common Challenges
Flowers before leaves emerge, making frost damage common; needs a second pawpaw variety for pollination.
❌ Common Misconception
Will Pawpaw (Shenandoah) produce more fruit in colder climates?
Not necessarily. Pawpaw (Shenandoah) only needs 400 chill hours. Planting in very cold zones (4 or colder) risks winter damage without improving fruit production. The ideal zones are 5-8 where the tree gets enough chill without excessive cold stress.
If you plant it, write it down.
Variety, rootstock, planting date — and every pruning and harvest after that. Future you will thank you.
Free for up to 30 plants. No card needed.
Other Pawpaw Varieties
Chill hour data from Open-Meteo Historical Weather API. Variety information compiled from university extension services.