Asimina triloba (Pawpaw)

Size: 15-30’ tall / 15-30’ wide

Sun: Full Sun to Shade

Soil: Well-Drained, Average

Bloom Time: Spring, Fruits in Late Summer - Fall

Deer Resistance: 4/5

Ecotype: Virginia

Pawpaws are a deciduous understory tree that prefers moist-average soils in full sun to part shade, but they are adaptable to a wide range of conditions. The leaves are large and obovate, giving it a somewhat tropical look, and the flowers are an interesting burgundy color but are not all that showy. For most, the appeal of the Pawpaw is the large edible fruits it produces.

For fruit production, flowers from one plant must cross-pollinate with those of a genetically different individual. It's worth noting that over time pawpaws will send up root suckers to form colonies, but these colonies are still only a single organism. If you have no other pawpaws on your property, you will need to plant at least two plants if you hope to get fruit one day!

Aside from humans, squirrels, raccoons, possums, bears, and other mammals enjoy the fruit. The Pawpaw is also the only larval host plant for the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly. The flowers attract and are pollinated by beetles and flies.