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Photo of Pawpaw foliage by Karl Gercens III

Photo by Karl Gercens IIIView Original Photo

Photo of Pawpaw foliage by Dancing Oaks Nursery

Photo of Pawpaw close-up, foliage, fruit by Scott Bauer, USDA

Photo of Pawpaw foliage by Kristine Paulus

Photo of Pawpaw fruit by Red Panda Nursery

Photo of Pawpaw flower by Karl Gercens III

Photo of Pawpaw fruit by Sunshine Farm and Gardens

Photo of Pawpaw flower by Plant Image Library

Pawpaw

Scientific Name: Asimina triloba

Also Known As

American Custard Apple
Banangois
Indiana Banana
Paw Paw

Plant type

tree, fruit / vegetable

size

H: 20'-30'
W: 15'-20'

planting zones

5a-10b

More Options

Pawpaw plant details

Pawpaw is a broadleaf deciduous fruit / vegetable or tree with green foliage. In spring chocolate and red flowers emerge followed by brown and red fruit. Attracts bees, beneficial insects, birds and butterflies making it an excellent addition to pollinator gardens. Grows well with sun - dappled shade and even moisture - regular water. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in acidic, average, clay, gritty, rich and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant and humidity tolerant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Pawpaw

Plant type: fruit / vegetable or tree
Plant family: annonaceae
Foliage: deciduous green
Mature size: 15 FT - 20 FT - wide, 20 FT - 30 FT - tall
Flowers: chocolate and red blooms in spring
Uses: culinary, edible, fall color, native plant, tropical-looking

GROWING CONDITIONS for Pawpaw

USDA Zones: 5a - 10b
Sun exposure: sun - dappled shade
Watering frequency: even moisture - regular
Resistant to: heat and humidity
Soil needs: acidic, average, clay, gritty, rich and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

This interesting, shrubby, 15-30' understory tree is native to the wooded slopes, ravines and stream edges of the southeastern United States. With large deep-green drooping leaves which flutter in a breeze and turn a lovely golden-yellow in fall; 2" cup-shaped purple-red flowers become 3-5" edible 'custard banana' fruits eaten fresh or made into ice cream or pie; fruit was once used as a yellow-dye; a beautiful addition to the wild or edible garden; plant two for pollination. PSh/M

By: Forestfarm

Pawpaw trees are an Eastern U.S. native that is quite cold hardy but produces surprisingly tropical fruit. The fruit are medium to large sized and have an unusual but delicious flavor which is best described as being a combination of a mango and a banana. Some people also describe a third flavor added to the mix resembling custard. Fruit production usually starts when trees reach around six feet tall, which can take only a few years under ideal growing conditions. Pawpaw trees will also grow in difficult soil where other fruit trees will not grow, but will take more years to produce fruit. For best results till in rich organic matter such as compost to the soil when planting. Trees are also fairly drought tolerant but again will produce better and younger when irrigated. Trees are also planted just for landscape appeal because the large leaves make for an excellent shade tree.

Pawpaws are easy to grow if started correctly. Early nursery efforts seemed to indicate difficulty of establishment, which is why Pawpaw trees unfortunately were not readily available. However, trees form deep tap roots early on and the common methods of root pruning nursery stock were actually permanently damaging the roots. We grow our trees in containers so the roots are naturally air pruned and never cut, yielding strong and viable root structures.

Pollination

Two different plants must be used for cross pollination. A single tree planted without any others nearby will not produce fruit.

Propagating Asimina triloba Pawpaw Trees

Amazingly, seedlings produce delicious and large fruit so you can grow more trees from the seeds. On most fruit trees, seedlings will typically be much smaller and far less flavorful than the parent variety (ever try the super sour fruit from cherry seedlings?) but not with Pawpaws. Tree can be propagated by root cuttings taken in late winter, take sections eight to twelve inches long and between half and one inch in diameter and place horizontally in well drained soil about one inch deep.

By: Red Panda Nursery

Paw Paw (Indiana banana, American custard apple, banangois) hardy to zone 5. There are some reports it will survive in parts of zone 4 nowadays but the fruit production may may not be as abundant. The nutritious greenish yellow fruit appears after the beautiful tulip like blooms. The taste is a something like a cross between a banana and a mango. Best fruit set with 2 or more trees. Seeds are inedible. This is an open pollinated variety, so you can expect some variation. We think that is a good thing. Paw Paw likes rich moist soil. It is a native to the United States and is well suited for your garden with few pests and needing little care.

By: jiovi® at Foxgreen Farm

The largest of the Native American fruits, the Paw Paw is one of the easiest to cultivate. The tree size is modest and does well in partial shade. Spring brings purple flowers that transform to clusters of oblong fruit. In fall, the large, green fruit softens, emits a ripe fragrance and takes on a yellow color. Pick and eat the flavorful fruit that's reminiscent of banana custard. Fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks. The nutritious fruit is high in protein and a good source of vitamins and minerals. You must plant two different cultivars for cross-pollination. We love that Paw Paws are not susceptible to insects or diseases and therefore never need to be sprayed with pesticides. Paw Paws usually start bearing fruit 2-3 years after planting and can yield up to 30 pounds of fruit per tree.

By: Logee's Plants for Home & Garden

Widely adapted and tolerant of damp soils, our native Pawpaw has been under-used as a landscape tree but is now attracting substantial attention. The fruits are nutritious and resemble the tropical mango. Nodding purple flowers are unlike those of any other American tree - curious in their three-lobed shape. Bold leaves turn a pleasing yellow in autumn. Our seedlings are greenhouse-grown in root-pruning containers for excellent transplant success.

By: Heritage Seedlings

Pawpaw, grown for its tropical looking foliage, large flowers, edible tasty fruits and most of all to attract Zebra Swallowtail butterflies. These amazingly long tailed butterflies eat nothing else as larvae. If they don't find you, go out and net a few females, bring them home and release them. They are seldom virgins when you catch them and will usually start a colony as long as sufficient food is available and you introduce a bit of genetic diversity. Releasing a single female is not likely to be successful. Don't panic unduly about upsetting ecosystems, butterflies are often blown hundreds of miles outside their natural range, netting a few and moving them changes little.

By: Arrowhead Alpines

3-5" green-yellow fruit with banana custard-like flavor, some say they are best after being frozen. Produces fragrant purple flowers in spring. A small native, normally understory tree, and is the caterpillar host plant of the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly. Seedling grown. Plant two different varieties or seedlings for pollination.The Pawpaw makes a beautiful small deciduous tree with a generally pyramidal form when grown in full sun. The large tropical looking foliage turns a golden yellow in fall. Allow the green fruit to become soft before eating, the softer the better by some accounts. They may be picked once they are to full size and allowed to ripen indoors out of reach of hungry raccoons and opossums.

By: Almost Eden

The pawpaw tree has seen a recent rise in popularity as a landscape tree. This native tree grow in woodland "patches" and has a pyramidal shape. The leave are large (between 6-12 inches) and turn an attractive yellow in the fall. Flowers develop before the leaves in the spring and are sparse, but exotic-looking, deep purple rosettes. Greenish-yellow fruits ripen to a browish-black and are edible. However, the fruit does not develop unless you plant at least two of the trees.

By: Oregon Grown Tree Farm

Reddish brown flowers on bare stems bring tasty oblong autumn fruit. Fairly large light green leaves turn yellow in fall on this slow growing small tree. Regular water.