Origin: Convis originates from the Corwin Davis collection (Bellevue/Eaton Rapids area, Michigan). In catalogs and variety lists, it is marked as "selected from Corwin Davis orchard". Historical context: Corwin Davis was a famous pawpaw collector/breeder; many classifications and commercial clones link their origin to his material. Convis is mentioned in KSU/state publication lists as a verified clone.
Weight/Size: reference sources describe Convis as a variety with small to medium fruits up to ≈250 g. Practical average weight varies by location and conditions, but a guideline of ≈74-250 g is used for well-fruiting trees. Pulp Color: yellow/yellowish-cream. Texture: creamy, "custard-like" (typical of good pawpaw selections).
Taste: typical for quality varieties — sweet, with tropical notes (banana/mango/pineapple) — sources simply label it "good/excellent flavor" for items in the Davis collection. Taste scores are mostly subjective, but the variety receives positive feedback in mentions.
In Michigan (guideline): Convis ripens in the first week of October (making it a rather late variety). This is indicated in KSU tables and state reference books. Practical consequence: in regions with a short growing season (northern parts of zones 5/6 or in Europe with early autumn cooling), there is a risk that a significant part of the Convis crop may not have time to ripen before first frosts.
USDA zones: Convis, like most pawpaw cultivars, is suitable for zones 5–8 — meaning it withstands winter minimums down to approximately −25...−28 °C for adult trees. This is confirmed by general reference books and nursery pages/official tables.
Growth and form: typical for Asimina triloba — a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree; adult height is ~4–6 m under normal conditions (depends on pruning). Little specific data on the growth speed of Convis exists in open sources.
Entry into fruiting: as with most clones, grafted saplings typically bear fruit 3–5 years after planting (depending on the age of the planting material and agro-husbandry).
Yield: Convis is mentioned in lists as a "large fruit" variety; in individual mentions (forums, catalogs), it is noted as productive in Davis collections. However, no statistical large-scale data (kg/tree) is available in scientific sources.
Cross-pollination: like all Asimina triloba, Convis is not reliably self-pollinating — it needs cross-pollination by another genetically distinct tree (another variety) for stable fruiting. A mixture of varieties with overlapping bloom yields the best results; in case of weak natural pollination, manual pollination (transferring pollen with a brush) is practically used.
Convis is not singled out as particularly vulnerable; typical pawpaw problems (leaf spot in very wet years, local pests — moths/caterpillars, etc.) occur, and standard agro-technical measures are applied. No unique vulnerabilities for Convis are documented in open publications.
By analogy with varieties from the Davis collection: some Davis-types (e.g., the Davis variety) store well in cold storage; Convis may have similar abilities, but direct storage tests for Convis are scarce in open sources.
There are no widely published multi-year, quantitative trials of Convis with exact average values: average weight across a large sample, average yield (kg/tree), ripening percentage in various climatic conditions.
For collectors or those who want large yellow fruits: Convis is an interesting choice (large fruits, yellow pulp).