Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
Shade the saplings for the first year or two, then full sun. Hand-pollinate the curious maroon flowers for that custard-like fruit.
Asimina triloba, the American papaw, pawpaw, paw paw, or paw-paw, among many regional names, is a species of small deciduous tree. It has large leaves and produces a large, yellowish-green to brown fruit.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
At a glance
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Water need
- Medium
- Mature height
- 5 m
- Maintenance
- Low
- Hardiness
- USDA 5–8
- Layers
- understory
Functional roles
Pollination & soil
Need two genetically different trees, and are often hand-pollinated as flies (not bees) pollinate them.
- Soil
- medium/loam
- pH
- Acid, Neutral
Rich, moist, free-draining; slightly acid.
Propagation
How to make more of this plant for free — the permaculture way.
When: Sow fresh seed (needs stratification)
Custard-like fruit; young trees need shade, and you need two for pollination.
Where to get it
Read more
Seed data pending expert review. Identification photo and description are sourced from Wikipedia/Wikimedia; always confirm a plant in person before eating any part of it.