Asimina triloba

Common Name(s):

Pawpaw

Cultivar(s):

Davis, Sunflower, Overleese, NC-1, Shenandoah, Susquehanna, Wabash, Potomac, Allegheny, Mango, A. parviflora (Small-flower, or Dwarf pawpaw)

Categories:

Native Plants, Poisonous Plants, Trees

Comment:

6-12 in. leaves have an unpleasant odor when crushed; yellow fall foliage; may form clumps from root sprouts; larva food for zebra swallowtail; native; difficult to transplant; best used along edges of property

Description:

Large shrub or small tree; leaves alternate, simple, widest above the middle; flowers with 6 maroon-purple petals; fruit an aromatic, soft and fleshy, cylindrical berry with large, flat, brown seeds

Height:

15-30 ft.

Flower:

Maroon flowers in early spring; 3-5 in., yellowish-green fruit ripens to dark brown with yellow pulp; taste similar to banana

Zones:

5-9

Habit:

Deciduous

Site:

Sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil

Texture:

Medium to coarse

Form:

Multi-stemmed with short trunk and spreading branches

Exposure:

Sun to partial shade; moist soil

Fruit:

Maroon flowers in early spring; 3 to 5 in. yellowish green fruit ripens to dark brown with yellow pulp

Family:

Annonaceae

Origin:

USA, NC

Distribution:

Throughout

Poison Part:

Fruit, leaves

Poison Delivery Mode:

Ingestion, dermatitis

Symptoms:

Fruit edible but some people suffer severe stomach and intestinal pain; skin irritation from handling fruit

Edibility:

Edible parts: raw berries (fruits) in small quantity. Harvest Time: only collect fruit from areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Safe handling procedure: wash fruit thoroughly with warm water. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer, because these products can leave a residue. The fruits generally fall to the ground before they are ripe, and therefore must be ripened at home. Ripen outdoors, the smell is overpowering. The fruit is ripe when the skin turns brown. The fruit can be eaten raw, cutting them in half like an avocado, removing the large oblong seeds and sprinkling with lemon juice.

Toxic Principle:

Unknown

Severity:

CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION MINOR OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES.

Found in:

Forest or natural area in rich, moist woods, along streams and river bottoms; often in dense thickets

Width:

15-20 ft.

Leaf:

6-12 in., alternate, simple leaves; has an unpleasant odor when crushed; yellow fall foliage

Tags:

deciduous

NCCES plant id: 445