My pawpaws saplings I planted last fall are still alive!
They have started budding leaves. I know I’m a few years away from fruit production but I am curious if anyone has found good ways to attract pollinators outside of rotting meat. Not sure the city would be very excited about that prospect.
I am considering making a native carion flower plant garden near the trees to make area more attractive to pollinators prior to the pawpaws flowering. Was wondering it anyone else had tried that idea. I’ve found 3 somewhat promising options in my area of Ohio.
These seem to be an especially symbiotic options https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillium_sessile https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillium_erectum
And this could be grown if you have a bog garden https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symplocarpus_foetidus
A small paintbrush works great for hand pollination - just swipe it in a few male-stage flowers (the ones with loose pollen) and then brush it on the female-stage flowers (sticky stigma) every morning during bloom seaon.