No problem. They are native to your area. You should go out and hunt some down. Ripe now. Find thickets near creeks and rivers. That’s where you are most likely to find them.
Taste to me like vanilla custard with maybe a hint of banana. Not fruit like at all. I got the Shenandoah variety. There are many, they are all a bit different I guess. I am growing 8 varieties. Wild ones are hit or miss. They are known for being one of the few fruits with protein. High vitamin C and others. Also anti cancer properties. Just don’t swallow the seeds. They can make you puke. They have a short season. Depends where you are. September to October. They don’t keep well. You need to eat them when soft to touch or they are gone. Apparently you guys might be interested to know some make ice cream out of it and even micro brewers are making beer out of it. It apparently makes potent brandy too. They ferment fast.
Dave, you got any pictures of just the seeds? I believe we saw some bear dung with those seeds in it.
I re-read your thread and earsed that post but thanks for answering me. They sound good. And congrats on growing, its something ive always admired and sooner hopefully than later i will be attempting.
Ronnie you should, Edible Landscaping in Virginia Sells the trees. They ship. Plant them in spring and keep well watered. You plant them in full sun and shield from sun the first year or the leaves will burn. This is why they grow in the forest understory. Buy grafted trees. They grow and produce faster than seedlings. I used garden fencing and burlap.
I bet you did. That’s how they migrated over thousands of years. They are brown kidney shaped. About an inch or so. I put mine in wet peat moss in zip lock and put in fridge for winter. I plan on eating another tonight and will take pic.
In Maryland we always had a tree that we called “paw paw” but it wasnt like that. They were the same color but completely round, about the size of a softball or a grapefruit. The outer skin had a pimply texture, like a golf ball on steroids! They were a full sized tree too, with limbs and branches. The pics you showed looks kinda like a banana plant. Who knows what they really were...
I take it birds don't spread those seeds around! wonder if squirrels like them. I don't recall having seen any of those trees around here (Pa), but I'll keep an eye out.
