Asimina triloba 'Wilson'
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ah-SIH-mi-nah try-LO-bah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Wilson pawpaw is a hybrid of the American pawpaw in the custard apple family (Annonaceae) and was found growing in the wild in Kentucky.
It will grow 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide in a pyramid-shaped form and needs full sun to partial shade in moist well-drained soil. Wilson requires another variety planted nearby for the best fruit production.
The brownish-purple flowers appear in spring, followed by edible fruit. The medium to large fruits have a custard texture and a sweet banana-pear flavor. Fall leaf color is a bright yellow.
Pawpaw does well in naturalized, riparian, or woodland areas. It is a flowering tree that attracts butterflies, pollinators, small mammals, and songbirds, which makes pawpaw a good addition to a butterfly, pollinator, or rain garden. It is an easy-to-grow fruit tree for children's gardens.
Quick ID Hints:
- Leaves produce a distinctive odor when crushed (similar to green bell peppers).
- Leaves large, alternate and distichous; they turn yellow in fall.
- Bark is smooth with wart-like lenticels
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. The pawpaw peduncle borer (Talponia plummeriana) is a small moth whose larvae burrow into flower stalks. They can destroy large numbers of flowers. This pest is in NC. The zebra swallowtail butterfly larvae feed on young leaves, but they seldom do permanent damage, nor do they affect fruit yield. Trees can produce root suckers, which can be troublesome in the landscape.
VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Asimina
- Species:
- triloba
- Family:
- Annonaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Wildlife Value:
- Its flowers are pollinated by flies and beetles. Its fleshy fruits are eaten by songbirds, wild turkeys, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, black bears, and foxes. Pawpaws are larval host plants for the Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus).
- Edibility:
- The fruit is edible, but peel the fruit and do not consume the seeds.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Gold/Yellow
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Medium to large fruits with a sweet flavor and custard texture. Matures in the fall
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Petals:
- 6 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Perfect (but self-incompatible). The brownish-purple flowers bloom in spring but are not showy. They have 6 petals and are 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. They have a foul odor and are pollinated by flies.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The large oval green leaves turn a brilliant yellow in the fall. Alternate, simple, ovate to oblong, 6-12 inches long, 2-3 inches wide with a green pepper odor when crushed. The leaves are in two ranks and hang pendulously from the stem. The leaf underside is pale and glaucous.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Surface/Attachment:
- Lenticels
- Bark Description:
- Smooth, brown splotched with wart-like lenticels.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Bud Scales:
- No scales, covered in hair
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Description:
- Buds are pubescent with no scales. Young buds and stems are cinnamon brown.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Heat
- Humidity
