Common Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
Plant Characteristics:
- Duration: perennial
- Habit: tree
- Root type: Tap
- Leaf retention: deciduous
- Breeding system: flower bisexual
- Fruit type: Berry
- Size class: up to 40 feet
- Native Habitat: ditches, ravines, depressions, floodplains, bottomlands
- Bloom time: April-May
Growing Conditions
- Light:
- Sun, partial shade, shade
- Soil:
- Moisture: Moist
- CaCO3 Tol: Medium
- Description: Rich, moist, slightly acidic soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay
- Water Use:
- Medium
- Condition comments:
- This is a good understory tree. No serious disease or insect problems.
Benefits:
- Ornamental understory tree
- Aromatic
- Wildlife use: small mammals like the fruit,
- Edible for human consumption: Fruit tastes like Bananas
- But can cause gastrointestinal distress
- Conspicuous flower
- Deer resistant
- Attracts bees and butterflies
Drawbacks:
- Leaves are poisonous and some people have reported skin irritation when handling the fruit
- Fruit can leave a mess on sidewalks and patios but rarely seeds much fruit if one tree is planted (i.e cross pollination is required)