Asimina triloba
Common Name(s):
- Pawpaw
- Phonetic Spelling
- ah-SIH-min-ah trih-LO-bah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics
- See below
- Description
Asimina triloba, commonly called pawpaw, is a small understory tree or large shrub which typically grows 15-20' tall (sometimes to 40') and occurs in low bottom woods, wooded slopes, ravines and along streams. It often spreads by root suckers to form colonies or thickets. Its bark is smooth with wart like lenticels (pores of outer plant tissue that provide a direct exchange of gases between internal plant tissues and the atmosphere).
Wildlife eagerly seek out the fruits and often beat humans to the harvest.
Seasons of Interest:
Leaves: Fall Blooms: Early spring, spring Nut/Fruit/Seed: Late summer, fall
- Cultivars:
-
- 'Allegheny'
- A. parviflora
Small-flower, or Dwarf pawpaw - 'Davis'
- 'Mango'
- 'NC-1'
- 'Overleese'
- 'Potomac'
- 'Shenandoah'
- 'Sunflower'
- 'Susquehanna'
- 'Wabash'
- 'Allegheny'
- Tags:
- Cultivars:
-
- 'Allegheny'
- A. parviflora
Small-flower, or Dwarf pawpaw - 'Davis'
- 'Mango'
- 'NC-1'
- 'Overleese'
- 'Potomac'
- 'Shenandoah'
- 'Sunflower'
- 'Susquehanna'
- 'Wabash'
- 'Allegheny'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Asimina
- Species:
- triloba
- Family:
- Annonaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Early Americans made yellow dye from pulp of the ripened fruit.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Distribution:
- WA south to NM, NE, IA. Parts of WI, MI east to ME, south to FL
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Edible flesh fruit becomes soft and custard-like sweet taste similar to bananas. Fruits eaten by sondgbirds, wild turkeys, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, black bear, and foxes.
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Resistant to fire and moderately resistant to damage from deer.
- Edibility:
- Raw berries in small quantity. Stomach/skin irritation in some.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 35 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Tree
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep Shade (No direct sunlight)
- Full Sun (Direct sunlight 8+ hours a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight (2-4 hrs) for only part of the day
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Edible flesh fruit becomes soft and custard-like sweet taste similar to bananas, very nutritious.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Petals:
- 6 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Monoecious purplish-brown 6 petal 1-1.5 inch flowers.
-
-
Leaves:
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate, simple, obovate to oblong 5-11 inches long 2-3 inches wide with a green pepper odor when crushed.
-
-
Bark:
- Bark Description:
- Smooth, brown splotched with wart-like lenticels.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Lenticels:
- Conspicuous
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Rain Garden
- Design Feature:
- Edible
- Flowering Tree
- Attracts:
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Poisonous
- Similar plants:
-
Lindera benzoin
-
Alnus serrulata
-
Cephalanthus occidentalis
