Asimina triloba 'Wabash'
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ah-SIH-min-ah try-LO-buh
- Description
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Pawpaw is a small native deciduous tree. Plant in the full sun, to partial shade, though full sun ensures adequate fruiting. Prefers well-drained, deep, slightly acidic fertile soil.
It will appear in clusters when planted in the understory, but it needs full sun to ensure fruiting. The pawpaw tree produces self-defensive compounds, so pests are usually not a problem. It is a slow-growing tree that needs several years to bear fruit. Fruits can be messy on hard surfaces. A second, genetically distinct plant (pollinizer) is needed for good fruit set.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered 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:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- 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). The adult butterflies lay eggs in the north during two flights between April and August and in the south between March and December.
- Edibility:
- Wabash pawpaw produces very large sweet fruit. It is heavy bearing with great quality. Ripens in mid season.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Perennial
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Broad
- Erect
- Multi-trunked
- Pyramidal
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- 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:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Fragrant
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Very large, 6" long, cylindric sweet green to yellow fruits. It is heavy bearing with great quality. Ripens in mid-season. Several dark brown seeds are inside.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Flower Petals:
- 6 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- The burgundy flowers bloom in spring but are not showy. They are purplish brown with 6 petals and are 1 to 1.5-inches in diameter. They have a foul odor as they are pollinated by flies.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Soft
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate, simple, obovate to oblong 6 to 12 inches long 2 to 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 Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Smooth
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Leaf Scar Shape:
- C-shaped, Cresent shaped
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Heavy Shade
- Insect Pests
- Problems:
- Malodorous
- Messy
