The Two-Ton Bet: How a Tennessee Nursery is Growing a Pawpaw Revolution
In the rolling hills of Altamont, Tennessee, a quiet but monumental effort is underway. As the crisp autumn air of October 2025 settles over the Cumberland Plateau, the team at TN Nursery is undertaking a project of historic scale: planting two tons of pawpaw tree seeds. This isn't corn or soybeans. This is a calculated bet on the future of a uniquely American fruit—the pawpaw. The goal? To germinate over four million pawpaw saplings by 2026, solidifying the nursery's position as the world's largest producer and cementing the comeback of America's forgotten fruit.
A Taste of Americana: The Pawpaw Renaissance
For those unfamiliar, the pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a horticultural marvel. It’s the largest native fruit in North America, with a rich, creamy texture and a tropical flavor profile often described as a blend of banana, mango, and pineapple.1 For centuries, this "custard apple" was a vital food source for Native Americans and early European settlers.2 Yet, with the rise of industrial agriculture and fruits bred for long-distance shipping, the soft, quick-to-ripen pawpaw faded into relative obscurity, relegated to foragers and nostalgic old-timers.
Today, that is rapidly changing. A confluence of factors—including the local food movement, a renewed interest in native plants, and the permaculture ethos—has sparked a resurgence in pawpaw popularity. Chefs celebrate its unique flavor in desserts, while homesteaders praise its resilience and low-maintenance growth. The problem? Decades of obscurity meant that supply has struggled to keep up with the explosive new demand. Finding a pawpaw tree, let alone enough to start a small orchard, has been a challenge. TN Nursery’s project is not just a response to this demand; it's a definitive solution.
The Nursery Behind the Numbers
This ambitious undertaking is no surprise to those familiar with TN Nursery. Nestled in the heart of Tennessee, the nursery has built a decades-long reputation for cultivating a vast array of hardy, high-quality native plants, trees, and shrubs.4 Their work has always been about more than just commerce; it's rooted in a deep understanding of the region's ecology and a mission to preserve and promote American flora.
By committing to this massive pawpaw planting, the nursery is leveraging its extensive experience to make a long-term investment in the nation's biodiversity. "This isn't just about selling trees," says the nursery's lead grower. "It's about reintroducing a piece of our natural heritage back into the landscape. It's about ensuring that a generation from now, the pawpaw is as common in a backyard garden as an apple tree." This project aims to transform the pawpaw from a niche novelty into a mainstream staple.
From Seed to Sapling: A Monumental Task
Planting two tons of anything is a logistical feat. Planting two tons of pawpaw seeds requires a precise, scientific approach. The 40,000 pounds of seeds currently being sown into meticulously prepared beds at TN Nursery won't simply sprout on their own. Pawpaw seeds require a period of cold, moist stratification to break their natural dormancy.
This process mimics the natural cycle where seeds fall to the ground in autumn and lie dormant under the leaf litter through the cold, wet winter. By planting now, in the fall of 2025, the nursery is using the Tennessee winter as a natural, large-scale germination chamber. When the warmth of spring arrives in 2026, the awakening will begin, and the fields will transform into a sea of green, vibrant with the promise of over four million new trees. This deep understanding of plant biology is what separates industrial-scale horticulture from simple gardening and is the key to the project's success.
This massive supply will serve a diverse market, ranging from individual hobbyists seeking a single tree to commercial farmers planning multi-acre orchards. By drastically increasing the availability of pawpaw saplings, TN Nursery is poised to single-handedly create new opportunities in American agriculture, making the dream of a pawpaw patch accessible to all.
The Pawpaw Tree is one that US Presidents have grown
The two-ton bet for pawpaw trees in Altamont is more than just a business decision; it’s a declaration. It’s a statement that America’s native fruits deserve a place at our tables and in our yards. As these millions of seeds rest over the coming winter, they hold the potential for a richer, more flavorful, and more diverse American landscape.
