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["Big Swede" <jfrisk@pionet.net>]

I just had my first Papaws from my orchard.  I have had the trees for about 20 years.  They are about 20 feet high.  I believe that I have just one variety.  It suckered another large stem a number of years ago that is as tall as the original tree.  I planted two varieties but the other one died almost immediately.  This is the first fruit that I have ever noticed.  I came back from a canoe trip to the BWCAW and saw the fruit on the ground.  The larger ones were 3-4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide.  They had 3-4 mature seeds in them.  I can't find a record of the variety.  I live in SW Iowa Zone 4 or 5 as we are in the Loess Hills. The tree is in a shaded protected microclimate east of my house.  We had a very mild winter which spelled disaster for most of my orchard crop because of the insect carryover.  The fruit was not affected by bugs.  It tasts close to Mango in flavor.  I never have eaten it before.  Hopefully I won't have to wait 20 years for another crop.  Judson L. Frisk