Consumer Q&A: A Fruitful Search

Q: I am looking for a “yamper.” It was a small (about five pounds, I think) pumpkin we used to grow in Colquitt County. It was brownish orange to pinkish tan. It had a mild flavor and made pies that were not strong like a sweet potato or regular pumpkin pie. It was a flatter pumpkin than many I see today. Someone suggested it may be the ‘Tan Cheese’ variety of pumpkin. I am going to grow it to see if it may be the one, but does anyone there know anything as to the identity of this mystery pumpkin?  


A: We looked through seed catalogs and reference books and made calls to seed companies specializing in heirloom varieties but could not find any variety known as ‘Yamper.’

One plant may be known by many different names, and one variety of plant may be known by different names as well. Someone may misspell the name, add a word to it or never know the name in the first place and make up a name. It can sometimes turn a simple gardening question into an episode of “The History Detectives” on PBS.

We did find a reference from the 1800s to natives of Honduras growing “yampers” and numerous other crops including pumpkins. The text described yamper cultivation along with yams, eddoes and sweet potatoes, which makes us think the yamper the author was mentioning was also a root vegetable. Perhaps a similarity in taste or color between your mystery pumpkin and this root vegetable is how the pumpkin came to be called by that name.

We found a reference in Doniphan's Expedition and the Conquest of New Mexico and California to a flower known as a “prairie pink or yamper” with an edible bulb that probably also took its name from the tropical vegetable. We also found a community called Yamper Town in Alabama whose name is not connected to pumpkins or other vegetables.

‘Tan Cheese’ is a possible candidate for being your mystery pumpkin. It meets some of your descriptions and is a very old variety dating back before 1824.

If someone has information about the ‘Yamper’ pumpkin or any other vegetable known as a yamper, please contact Arty Schronce, Room 128, Georgia Department of Agriculture, 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30334 or via email.

Q:  Is it true I can no longer purchase a ‘Bradford’ pear tree?  Someone told me this at a nursery.

A: You can still find ‘Bradford’ for sale as well as other varieties of Callery pear. However, there are problems with it and the other varieties, and Georgia nurseries have other trees that are beautiful without the headaches these pears cause.  

Here is some information to consider and to help you understand what someone may have told you: The 'Bradford' variety of Callery pear has been popular for many years. In fact, the name is so common that some people call all Callery pears "Bradford pears" whether they are the actual 'Bradford' variety or not.  Other varieties of Callery pear include 'Artistocrat,' 'Capitol,' 'Cleveland Select,' 'Holmford' (also sold under the name 'New Bradford') and 'Redspire.' All have the same white flowers that 'Bradford' is known for, but vary in height, width or fall color. Some are noted to be less likely to break apart in winds and ice storms than 'Bradford' is. That is a real drawback with 'Bradford.'

Perhaps these newer varieties were what the person was referring to when he told you 'Bradford' was no longer available -- that there are other varieties considered superior and his nursery is no longer carrying ‘Bradford.’ Even though they are popular, however, 'Bradford' and other Callery pears are not the best trees to plant.

As noted above, 'Bradford' is prone to break apart in storms. Even relatively young specimens can split in two.  Another problem that has become painfully apparent is that the trees are invasive and hard to get rid of. Although bred as sterile and thornless, people discovered the different varieties of Callery pear can produce fruit with viable seeds that sprout into dangerously thorny thickets of wild pear trees.  The thorns are long and sharp enough to put out an eye. If you have ever faced a patch of these trees or tried to remove them, it is a painful struggle. If you have the herculean task of removing wild pears, invest in goggles, leather gloves, long-handled loppers and antiseptic.

'Bradford' and other Callery pears can be beautiful in bloom, but there are alternatives that hold up better in the landscape and do not spread into areas where they are not wanted. Here are a few alternative white-flowering trees to consider: redbud or Judas tree (there is a white form as well as the more common reddish purple), Japanese flowering apricot (Prunus mume), sarvisberry or serviceberry, flowering dogwood, star magnolia, fringe tree or grancy graybeard, Carolina silverbell and blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium). 

Q: I want to plant some pawpaw trees but am having trouble finding any for sale. Can you help me?   

A: Although native, pawpaws can be difficult to find for sale. To raise awareness of this native fruit tree and raise funds for future projects, the Bartow County Master Gardeners Association has grown pawpaws from locally collected seed and offers the young trees to appropriate organizations such as plant societies, 4-H clubs and groups doing landscape restoration projects.  

A couple commercial sources of pawpaws are Edible Landscaping and Stark Brothers. You may want to check the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin. If you are a subscriber, you can place a free ad in the “Ag Seed/Plants Wanted” section. Also contact nurseries specializing in native plants. Gardens and plant societies that specialize in native plants may also offer pawpaws during their plant sales.

A couple of tips: Avoid purchasing bare-root pawpaw trees. It has been our experience that they are less likely to live than potted specimens. Don’t worry about buying small pawpaws. They will grow. Unlike apples and pears, pawpaws grown from seed are similar to their parents. If you find a fruiting pawpaw and you like the flavor, collect and sow the seeds. Note, however, that the seeds should not dry out, can be slow to germinate and require a period of moist chilling before they will sprout. 

For more information about pawpaws, visit the website of the Kentucky State University Pawpaw Program () or read “Put a Pawpaw in your Pocket.”