Description

Also called Campbell’s #1

Few seeds and thin skin means more fruit to enjoy! This unique, tropical-tasting treat is great for fresh-eating and desserts. Tree grows well in partial shade and adds interest to the landscape. Dark purple blooms in spring, around April. Lovely gold foliage in fall. Offspring of Davis x Overleese. Cold-hardy. Ripens in late September. Grafted. For proper pollination, plant another pawpaw variety nearby.

Survival Guaranteed!

Since 1816, Stark Bro’s has promised to provide customers with the very best fruit trees and plants. It’s just that simple. If your trees or plants do not survive, please let us know within one year of delivery. We will send you a free one-time replacement, with a nominal shipping fee of $9.99. If the item in question is not available, we can issue a one-time credit to your account equaling the original product purchase price or issue you a refund. Read more about our warranty policy.

Characteristics

Bloom Color Purple
Fruit Color Yellow
Fruit Size Large
Hardiness Zone Range 4 - 8
Pollination Pollinator Required
Ripens/Harvest September To October
Shade/Sun Full Sun
Soil Composition Loamy
Soil Moisture Well Drained
Soil pH Level 5.5 - 7.0
Taste Sweet
Texture Soft
Years to Bear 3 - 5

Size & Spacing

Mature Size

When your tree matures, it will be approximately 12 - 15' tall x 12 - 15' wide.

Recommended Spacing

We recommend spacing these trees 15 - 20' apart to ensure room for growth.

Zone Compatibility

This Variety's Zone Range 4 - 8
My Hardiness Zone ?
The USDA hardiness zones offer a guide to varieties that will grow well in certain climates. Each zone corresponds to the minimum winter temperatures experienced in a given area. Make sure that your hardiness zone lies within the zone compatibility range of this variety before ordering.

Pollination

This variety requires another one for adequate pollination.

Cross-pollination by a different variety is key to its growing and bearing success. Plant one of these varieties within 100' for best pollination.

Tools & Supplies

Having the proper tools and supplies when growing your own can make the difference between a good harvest and a great harvest! Here's a list that our experts recommend for this variety.

Planting & Care

Learn all about how to grow pawpaw trees in The Growing Guide. An entire section of our website dedicated to your growing success.

Shipping Information

Arrives when it's time to plant

Your success is our priority. We work hard to make sure that your order arrives at the ideal time for planting in your location based on your local climate conditions.

Questions & Answers

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18 Questions
Why did you choose this?

I never had this and I want to try it also

Cause I bought two awhile back...and one died...someone ran it over with a lawn mower...so now I need another one.

Supposed to be fewer seeds

I’ve always wanted to have pawpaw trees, and having a NC cultivar with a known pedigree was important to me.

Will a grafted pawpaw pollinate my native pawpaws?

Yes.

Will the prolific work to pollinate this tree?

Yes, Prolific will work fine, as it has a similar bloom time (April) to NC-1.

Do the deer bother this? Will I have to fence them?

i have not a problem with them eating the leaves however i fence mine
because the buck deer in the fall like to rub their antlers on young trees.
if i don't put a wrap or fence the trees the bucks destroy the tree.

I have been growing my PAW PAW in a pot to keep a close eye on it. Can I keep growing them in a pot or do they want a deep tap root? I have seen paw paws that are about as big as mine and have more vigor in their growth.

I have my 3 planted in the ground and while I think they are quite slow growing trees I do think they like to put their roots deep and seemed to become quite well established early on. I got blooms on my one this year but I’m assuming seeing the other two didn’t bloom to pollinate (plus we got a late frost) that is why I didn’t get any fruit but I’m hopeful for next year. Mine have been planted for 2 years now and I am sone 6b in NY. Hope that helps! I was also reading they like a fair amount of water as they often grew naturally along rivers so I planted mine along a run off ditch and they seem happy. Maybe as pots tend to dry out fast it could use more moisture? Best of luck!!!

I have an older tree but lost it’s pollinator and not bearing fruit last couple years will this new tree restart the pollination?

Yes if you plant a new tree once it flowers it will serve as a pollinating partner.

What size trees are your paw paws?

That will depend upon which option you choose. Please see the "Choose an option" dropdown menu near the top of the page, which will show you the various sizes/options that are available.

I was able to get two paw paw trees to grow from seed. They have made it through their first two winters and continue to look very healthy. Seeds were from a "wild" tree living in an un-developed part of St Louis County, MO. Which variety of commercial Paw paw tree is most likely to sucessfully pollinate my "wild" trees?

Typically any cultivated variety should work for pollination.

How late do NC1 pawpaws normally leaf out? I planted it last year, and it did fine, but so far I haven't seen any of the buds open and I'm concerned it died somehow.

We recommend you try a scratch test: //www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/how-to-do-a-scratch-test
If that test determines the tree is no longer living and in need of replacement, please contact our Customer Support Team at 800.325.4180. They'd be happy to help.

Can both this paw paw tree and Allegheny pawpaw tree pollinate mango pawpaw tree? if yes, which one is better?

For proper pollination, plant another pawpaw variety nearby.

When will the 'Supreme'(NC-1 Pawpaw) option be available for purchase (spring 2022 delivery)?

Hi Anna, We are hoping to have more supreme available this coming spring but at this time we do not have a solid ETA on them.

Customer Reviews

31 Ratings
3.5out of 5 stars
31 Ratings

Rated 5 stars by 26% of reviewers

Rated 4 stars by 35% of reviewers

Rated 3 stars by 16% of reviewers

Rated 2 stars by 6% of reviewers

Rated 1 star by 16% of reviewers

1-10 of 31 Reviews
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 26, 2022
Great plants.
Great plants arrive in great condition. No nursery does it better than Stark Bros. I plan to buy from them whenever I can from now on.
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 25, 2022
My tree arrived looking healthy and remained that way all summer. Took care to keep it watered during our dryness and was rewarded with healthy green leaves
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 17, 2022
This pawpaw looks to be in good health with large glossy leaves and some new growth.
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 1, 2022
Healthy tree
Tree arrived healthy and happy. I planted it in the ground, and it's grown well over the past year since planting. No fruit yet, but I'm not anticipating any problems - it has some more growth to do before it's big enough to support the fruit.
Rated 5 out of 5
May 5, 2018
Great Plant
I've had mines for two seasons now, and it's growing strong. I'm just waiting for flowers to bloom, which hasn't happened yet at the time of this review. When it does happen, I have second one ready to pollinate with it.
Rated 5 out of 5
Jul 4, 2017
Mango and NC-1 Pawpaw trees
Received Mango and NC-1 pawpaw trees on time in great shape, planted around the end Apr 2016. Both trees are growing and should produce maybe next year, both are about 4-5 foot tall and vary healthy. Your web site is a wonderful source of info.

Thanks for the great service
Rated 5 out of 5
Jun 3, 2016
Good first year growth
The tree leafed out well and showed good growth the first year. This spring the leaves are large and showy. I am looking forward patiently to watching this healthy young tree progress.
Rated 5 out of 5
May 9, 2016
Very Vigorous
In the first year, the plant grew many side branches and a strong leader. Now, in the second year, I moved it with its root ball, and it still grew well while producing interesting flowers.
Rated 4 out of 5
Nov 25, 2024
Waiting
Doing great so far. Came in looking great. 4 sets of leaves. Just lost leaves for winter in Nov. Praying makes it though the winter. Can wait to give one of these a try in another 5-10 years. :)
Rated 4 out of 5
Nov 18, 2024
It has very large leaves, but they came off from lack of rain, as well as windy, dry conditions. It is watered almost daily