Asimina triloba

Scientific Name: Asimina triloba

Common Name: pawpaw

Native Range: Southeastern United States

Zone: 5 to 9

Plant type & Form: small understory tree or large shrub

Height: 15.00 to 30.00 feet

Spread: 15.00 to 30.00 feet

Bloom Time: April to May

Bloom Description: Cup-shaped, purple flowers (3 green sepals and 6 purple petals in two tiers)

Bark: Grey

Fruit: edible, oblong, yellowish green fruits which mature in early autumn to a dark brown. Flavor and fleshy consistency of the sweet-flavored fruits resembles bananas and mangos

Leaf: Large, slightly drooping, elliptical, medium green leaves (6-12″ long) retain green color well into fall before turning to a bright (but sometimes undistinguished) yellow

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Medium to wet

Soil type & pH: average

Maintenance: Low

Suggested Use: Rain Garden

Tolerates: Wet Soil, Black Walnut

Notes: Fruits are frequently eaten raw or used in ice creams or pies, although they can produce nausea in some people. Wildlife (e.g., raccoons, squirrels and opossums) eagerly seek out the fruits and often beat humans to the harvest

Identification notes: Look for them in low bottom woods, wooded slopes, ravines and along streams