Asimina triloba
An eastern North American understory tree or large shrub, typically 15–40 feet tall, bearing large custard-like fruits with banana-like, tropical-flavored flesh that ripen in fall and is self-incompatible for fruit production, requiring cross-pollination from another plant to yield the continent’s largest edible fruit.
Common Names
Pawpaw, Custard Apple, Indiana Banana, Common Pawpaw, Pawpaw Trees, Pawpaws
Summary
Asimina triloba is a North American native understory tree or large shrub, typically 15–25 ft tall with a similar spread and often forming colonies by root suckers, it features large leaves 6–12 inches long with a drooping habit, and spring purplish-red flowers with a fetid odor, the oblong fruits measure about 3–5 inches long, are green to yellow-brown when ripe, and contain a creamy custard-like flesh described as banana-mango in flavor, cultivation favors moist, fertile, well-drained soils and tolerates full sun to partial shade, with young plants benefiting from some protection, fruit production requires cross-pollination from two genetically different trees since the species is not self-fertile, propagation can be from seed or grafting, with seeds requiring stratification, and roots often form suckers that create patches, hardiness spans USDA zones 5–9, the plant is grown as an ornamental understory tree or landscape shrub and provides wildlife value, with pests including pawpaw peduncle borer and zebra swallowtail larvae, while deer browse is generally not a major issue for foliage
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
15-20 feet
Spread
15-30 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 5-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full Sun; tolerates Partial Sun and Partial Shade, with shade preferred in early years and full sun as it matures.
Soil Type
Moist, well-drained, fertile loamy soil with a pH of about 5.0–7.4
Soil Drainage
Moist, well-drained soil.
Soil pH
5.5-7 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Bloom Color
Purple to maroon
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Green, turning yellow in fall
Fall Foliage Color
Bright yellow
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Slow-growing overall; first two years slow as the root system establishes, then accelerates.
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Layering, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts flies and beetles as pollinators, zebra swallowtail butterflies as a larval host, and birds through fruit consumption
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) Dunal
- Publication
- Monogr. Anonac. : 83 (1817)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Magnoliales
- Family
- Annonaceae
- Genus
- Asimina
Synonyms
Orchidocarpum arietinum Annona pendula Annona triloba Asimina campaniflora Asimina glabra Asimina virginiana Porcelia triloba Uvaria triloba Uvaria conoidea Asimina conoidea