FEATURED TREE: Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
(A version of this article first appeared in our fall 2023 newsletter)
Interest in pawpaws has been steadily rising in recent years—and for good reason. This small to medium-sized understory tree produces North America’s largest native fruit and is the only member of the tropical Annonaceae family found in temperate North America.
Pawpaw makes a striking addition to the cultivated landscape. With its large, tropical-looking leaves and graceful pyramidal form, it stands out as an attractive specimen plant. The fruit is another compelling feature: creamy, custard-like, and best described as tasting like banana with hints of mango and vanilla. Due to its short shelf life, you won’t find pawpaw in most grocery stores, making homegrown fruit a rare treat. Pawpaw can be enjoyed fresh or incorporated into baked goods such as quick breads, puddings, custard pies, or even homemade ice cream.
In the wild, fallen fruits are a magnet for wildlife including raccoons, possums, foxes, squirrels, and box turtles, which are particularly fond of them. While the foliage is unappealing to deer, it provides an essential food source for specialist Lepidopterans such as the zebra swallowtail and the pawpaw sphinx moth. The tree’s unique reddish-brown flowers add ornamental interest, although their slightly malodorous scent mimics rotting meat—an adaptation to attract flies and beetles, the pawpaw’s primary pollinators.
Growing Pawpaw at Home
To grow pawpaw successfully, choose a site with moist, well-drained soil and at least partial sun. Though they tolerate deep shade (where they naturally occur), sunnier conditions will encourage a fuller canopy and heavier fruit production. Water young trees regularly in their first year and protect them from deer—not for browsing, but to prevent damage from antler rubbing.
Pawpaws are clonal and will eventually sucker, forming colonies of genetically identical trees. If you’d like to avoid a dense grove, minimize root disturbance and major pruning, both of which can stimulate suckering. Regular mowing or pruning of suckers can help manage their spread.
Since pawpaws require cross-pollination, planting at least two genetically distinct trees is essential unless you have a wild grove nearby. Several named cultivars are available through specialty nurseries. Selections such as ‘Overleese,’ ‘Allegheny,’ ‘Sunflower,’ and ‘Mango’ have been bred for larger fruit, fewer seeds, better flavor, and improved texture. These grafted cultivars also tend to bear fruit earlier than seed-grown trees. Just be sure to plant more than one variety, as grafted trees are genetically identical clones and cannot pollinate one another.
Ecology and Conservation
Unlike many native species, pawpaw currently faces no significant conservation threats. In fact, pawpaw patches often thrive in forests where other species are declining—thanks in part to their unpalatability to deer and resilience in low-light environments. The species is, however, intolerant of fire. In areas without regular fire management, pawpaws often flourish. If fire does occur, mature trees may be killed aboveground, but they typically resprout rapidly from the roots.
A good example of this can be seen locally along the Cardinal Ridge Trail at New Salem State Historic Site. Following a prescribed burn earlier this spring, pawpaw sprouts are already colonizing several areas along the trail.
Pawpaws at Starhill Forest
At Starhill Forest, pawpaws grow both naturally and through our own plantings of cultivars and seedlings from various provenances. We’re also trialing a seedling of Asimina parviflora—the dwarf pawpaw. Although this species is native to the southeastern U.S., our specimen has survived several Illinois winters in a permanent planting site. While it has yet to flower, we look forward to learning whether it can set fruit in the absence of another of its kind.
Our native pawpaws flowered heavily this spring, so we anticipated a good crop. However, hail and strong winds likely caused a significant reduced fruit production. Even so, we have plenty for our needs: a few to enjoy and enough to collect seed for stratifying next year’s crop of seedlings. Pawpaws are relatively easy to grow from seed if kept moist and given enough time to germinate.
We plan to offer pawpaw seedlings each year at the Illinois Native Plant Society sale in Springfield. If you’re interested in adding this unique native tree to your collection, reach out or check with your local native plant nursery!
