Kentucky Champion

A Large and Vigorous Time-Tested Pawpaw Tree with Very Early Fruit 

Strengths

• Vigorous, disease resistant

• One of the earliest bearing trees

• Good mango-flavor

• Large durable fruit (230+ gram)

• Seed ratio 5.5% by weight

• Excellent appearance for landscaping

• Suitable for shorter growing seasons

Weaknesses

• Co-pollination is limited to other earlier varieties like Overleese

• Pollination compatibility can limit productivity

• Short shelf-life

• Fruit not suitable for mail-order

Fruit Description

Kentucky Champion is an early-season pawpaw tree that produces large superior mango-flavored fruits averaging more than 230 grams.  The fruit is elongated with durable skin and the seed-ratio is about 5.5%.  The fruit allows a seedless saddle-shaped filet to be extracted like a sliced-pineapple (ref picture above).  This allows access to the seed sacks, which can be scraped back relatively easily to extract the seeds. The fruit is considerably easier to clean than Overleese.  Unfortunately the shelf-life is short. It is not suitable for shipping fresh, though it freezes quite well. Overall, the flavor is superior to the average cultivar variety, and it has been appealing to most people that try a pawpaw fruit for the first time.  KY Champion has been especially appealing to the Europeans because of its landscaping appearance combined with early ripening and good flavor.

 Pollination and Fruit Bearing

The variety is very early to bloom and to bear fruit.  Overleese has been identified as a reliable co-pollinator.  NC1 is effective for pollination about half the time.  Later-bearing pawpaw varieties are ineffective for pollination.  The productivity of the tree is still under evaluation (as of 2023).  A mature KY Champion tree produced over 40 lbs (18 kg) in 2022. (reference attached histogram graph). 

Background 

The Kentucky Champion (size) tree was discovered on the grounds of the Old Walker Orchard near Water Street in Richmond, KY. 

The orchard  was owned by J. Stone Walker, a financier and politician.  

It operated in the late 1800s with an assortment of apples pear, plums, pawpaw and black walnut. 

The champion tree  finally came down in 2020 after a long period of decline from severe ice storm injuries.

Grafted Champion trees courtesy of Hans Kluijt,  Nijverdal, Overijssel (provincie) Netherland, growing zone 7 

Ripened Champion fruit courtesy of Georgi Goshev in the Black Sea area of Bulgaria.