If you don't get any feedback here, call John Brittain at Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery (270-369-8551) and see if he can provide a comparison. He grows/offers both varieties and should at least be able to give his opinion.

I wish I could give you an answer. I grow both but my rappahannock has not fruited yet as it is too young. From all I have heard and read I think 'greenriver belle' may be a better variety. I can tell you that 'greenriver belle' has very good tasting fruits and good texture, I would call it an early-mid season ripener. It ripens before 'sunflower' and along with or slightly later than 'pa golden#1'.

Thanks brandon7 and shane11.

I e-mailed John Brittain and he told me than 'Greenriver Belle' has large fruit, but not extra large. Hmmm, what is large vs extra-large?

shane1, is GRB more vigorous and faster growing than Rappahannock?

shane1 - Is GRB a relatively good producer? Last year, you mentioned that your tree has abundant fruit. How about this year?
Thanks.

The discription of the Greenriver belle sound better than the Peterson varieties after checking-out Nolin nursery. I would be perfectly satisfy with G.b paw-paw.Mrtexas mention a veriety that he said was just as good.Maybe he could sell me one. I'll check him-out in the winter.

I would say that greenriver belle grows about the same rate as rappahannock, both are vigorous. I had a good crop on GRB this year but maybe not quite as large as last year. None of my trees produced as much as last year with the exception of 'mango' which always has a big crop. GRB is not among the largest fruited such as 'nc-1', 'sunflower', 'overleese', 'shenandoah' and a couple others. I would call the majority of GRB fruits medium in size.

Shane11 : Thanks for the answer. When you say medium in size, is it about half pound?

I would guess most are in the half pound range.

After a couple years with rappahannock fruiting, my personal fav. would be rappahannock but both are quite good, and different. Greenriver is more elongated in shape and seedier but has a unique flavor profile that is a favorite of many I know.

Dave’s Garden. pawpaw Rappahannock, Shenandoah, are two of the varieties I’ve chosen for my edible forest garden. “Asimina triloba” — edible fruit, native tree on the east coast mainly in the northern parts as far as New York and Michigan. In the Spring brick-red pawpaw flowers open, but honeybees are not interested in them, as their fetid odor ... the flowers are intended to attract “carrion insects” like (flies, beetles) ... paws belong to the Magnolia order of plants. Some commercial pawpaw growers hang roadkill or buckets of fish guts in their trees to improve fruit set. Needless to say it’s not an appropriate strategy in a suburban area. I’ve made some arrangements of other carrion insect pollinated species around and beneath our pawpaws, but you can also try hand pollination to insure a good harvest.

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