Pawpaw and the American Persimmon: Niche Tree Fruit Crops for the Midwest and Eastern United States

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) and American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) are tree fruits native in the eastern and Midwestern United States and have potential as niche crops for these regions. Pawpaw is in the early stages of commercial production with small plantings established across the United States. This fruit has a tropical-like flavor that is similar to a blend of pineapple, banana, and mango. Pawpaw fruit have fresh market appeal for farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture, and direct sales to restaurants and the gourmet market. American persimmon fruit have a unique flavor and processing potential, but may have a more limited appeal than pawpaw due to astringency associated with the fruit. Currently, persimmon fruit are mainly collected from the wild; however, small plantings have been established across the United States. Both pawpaw and American persimmon have positive attributes as uniquely flavored fruits; however, both of these tree fruits also have cultural and postharvest issues. Cultivar options are also somewhat limited for both these tree fruit species. Recent pawpaw cultivar releases with large, high quality fruit have provided new options for existing and potential growers. Some American persimmon cultivars, primarily from the 90-chromosome race of D. virginiana, produce large, less astringent, sweet and flavorful fruit, which could be more acceptable to the general public. Some major challenges in developing a commercial industry for either of these tree fruits are: developing a grower base, rootstock development, new variety development, postharvest handling and processing of fruit, and developing an overall marketing strategy.