Pawpaw
Scientific Name: Asimina triloba
— pronounced ah-SIH-min-ah trih-LO-bah
--Asimina is adopted from Native Americans, probably Algonquians.
--triloba refers to the three-lobed flower, resembling a tricorn hat.
Pawpaw is in the Custard Apple Family (Annonaceae), a mostly tropical family. The Pawpaw is the only member native to temperate North America.
Other common names for Pawpaw include West Virginia Banana, Appalachian Banana, and American Custard Apple.
Pawpaw is a large shrub or small tree growing to a height of 35-45 feet.
— pronounced ah-SIH-min-ah trih-LO-bah
--Asimina is adopted from Native Americans, probably Algonquians.
--triloba refers to the three-lobed flower, resembling a tricorn hat.
Pawpaw is in the Custard Apple Family (Annonaceae), a mostly tropical family. The Pawpaw is the only member native to temperate North America.
Other common names for Pawpaw include West Virginia Banana, Appalachian Banana, and American Custard Apple.
Pawpaw is a large shrub or small tree growing to a height of 35-45 feet.
Photos by David Rosher
Pawpaw leaves are 6 to 12 inches long, broadest towards the tip, with smooth edges. When bruised, the leaves have a disagreeable odor, some say similar to a green bell pepper. In autumn, the leaves are a rusty yellow, allowing pawpaw patches in the understory to be spotted from a long distance.
Pawpaw flowers are about 1 to 2 inches (3 to 5 cm) across, rich red-purple or maroon when mature, with three sepals and six petals. The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as or slightly before the new leaves appear.
The bark is gray and smooth, with prominent lenticels (pores).
The mature fruit of the Pawpaw is a large, yellowish-green to brown berry, 2 to 6 inches long and 1 to 3 inches broad, containing several large brown or black seeds embedded in the soft, edible fruit pulp.
Pawpaw leaves are 6 to 12 inches long, broadest towards the tip, with smooth edges. When bruised, the leaves have a disagreeable odor, some say similar to a green bell pepper. In autumn, the leaves are a rusty yellow, allowing pawpaw patches in the understory to be spotted from a long distance.
Pawpaw flowers are about 1 to 2 inches (3 to 5 cm) across, rich red-purple or maroon when mature, with three sepals and six petals. The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as or slightly before the new leaves appear.
The bark is gray and smooth, with prominent lenticels (pores).
The mature fruit of the Pawpaw is a large, yellowish-green to brown berry, 2 to 6 inches long and 1 to 3 inches broad, containing several large brown or black seeds embedded in the soft, edible fruit pulp.
More photos and ID help: VA Tech Dendrology
Pawpaw occurs as an understory tree in hardwood forests, primarily in bottomlands. In recent decades, the species has expanded into drier, upland forest (for speculations about why, see this National Park Service site). And in the Preserve, Pawpaw does occur, here and there, in both bottomlands and higher sites.
Interesting facts:
Pawpaw occurs as an understory tree in hardwood forests, primarily in bottomlands. In recent decades, the species has expanded into drier, upland forest (for speculations about why, see this National Park Service site). And in the Preserve, Pawpaw does occur, here and there, in both bottomlands and higher sites.
Interesting facts:
- Pawpaws reproduce asexually when roots bud and form new shoots, thus often forming “patches” that are really one organism, i.e., a clone.
- The Pawpaw is self-incompatible, meaning that pollen produced by a given plant cannot pollinate flowers on the same plant. So to produce fruit, a pawpaw flower must receive pollen from flowers on a different individual plant or different clone – which may not be close by.
- The name “Pawpaw” probably derives from the Spanish word for Papaya.
- Pawpaw fruits are eaten by raccoons, opossums, squirrels and birds.
- Pawpaw leaves are the only food source for caterpillars of the zebra swallowtail butterfly.
