Could this be a pawpaw sapling - Ask Extension
These two saplings have come up in my back yard, the taller one last year and the smaller one this year. The leaf shapes seem to be the same. A couple...
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Could this be a pawpaw sapling #879246
Asked July 29, 2024, 1:20 PM EDT
These two saplings have come up in my back yard, the taller one last year and the smaller one this year. The leaf shapes seem to be the same. A couple of years ago i threw some pawpaw seeds back there, so now I'm wondering if these are the result. Thank you so much for your help!
Prince George's County Maryland
Expert Response
The sapling in the first photo does look like pawpaw. The smaller sapling in the second photo has a different leaf structure (compound, not simple) and is a young Hickory. (Several species of Hickory grow native in Maryland, and we can't ID this one to species level at this point.)
Miri
Miri
Thank you so much! I am so lucky!! I definitely want both of them, but they are only about 4 feet apart. Would it be feasible to move the hickory because it is smaller?
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Hickory tends to have a substantial (for its size) taproot when this young, so moving it might come with a risk of significant transplant shock. (To be fair, pawpaw is said to be fickle about transplanting too.) Fortunately, though, the pawpaw should be happy in the shade of the hickory, and it matures into a much smaller tree, though that will take time as the hickory is fairly slow and, for a while, the pawpaw's growth will probably outpace the hickory's. You can probably leave them as-is to mature where they are in relation to each other, but if you need to move either, autumn should be fine, or sooner as long as you can keep an eye on their watering needs post-move.
Miri
Miri
This is wonderful information. Thank you! I am going to leave them right where they are and enjoy every minute of their childhood. Saplinghood? Have a great day. I'm on my way out to water them.
You're welcome!
