How you can get your hands on one of the rarest trees in Canada (Paw paw)

Colin Butler

2019-09-15

CBC

Keywords: tree distribution, Forest restoration, Native biodiversity, Urban planting, Cultural repair, Indigenous communities, Southern Ontario

Porchuk said planting the trees in home gardens will help restore native plants, which will in turn attract native insects and promote native biodiversity in an area where often people don't appreciate the fact they live in one of the world's truly unique ecological zones.

Ben Porchuk, a forest restoration ecologist, and Steve O'Neil, a retired teacher, are embarking on a mission to distribute 100 pawpaw trees across Southern Ontario. The pawpaw, North America's largest native tree fruit, is one of the rarest species in Canada, with a taste described as a combination of banana, mango, and custard. Once abundant in the Carolinian forest, the pawpaw's population has dwindled to less than half a per cent of its pre-European size due to landscape clearing by settlers. The initiative aims to restore the species by planting trees in urban areas, promoting native biodiversity, and reconnecting communities with the unique ecological zone they inhabit. The project is also seen as an act of cultural repair, particularly for Indigenous communities where the trees hold special significance. Interested individuals can contact Carolinian Canada with their gardening story and reasons for wanting a pawpaw tree, as there are still some available for free distribution.

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Tags: Environmental conservation, Biodiversity restoration, Community engagement, Ecological reconnection, Cultural heritage, Urban greening