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A pawpaw flower in spring
A fruit that particularly fascinates me is the American pawpaw. This fruit is a Midwestern United States native, but has some strangely tropical flavors.
Asimina triloba is the largest native fruit in North America, and the main species of pawpaw consumed in the US (although a few other species do exist).
It is important to note, that the Pawpaw (Asimina sp.) is NOT the same as the papaya (Carica papaya) The two are often conflated and the names used interchangeably, but despite the similar look, they are vastly different fruits!
Quick note: I may switch up the format of the plant profiles here and there to get a feel for what works best! I’ve added a “Harvest Season” section as well.
Plant Profile:
Scientific Name: Asimina triloba
Preferred Habitat: They traditionally prefer the damper parts of hardwood forests (near creeks or rivers) however I have found them on slightly higher parts of the woodland!
Wild Range: The majority of the Midwest, New England, and the South
Pawpaw range map
Harvest Season: August through October depending on location and specific cultivar
Key Identifiers:
Flowers: Bloom in spring, are dark burgundy, and have three distinct curled petals (see top image) they are very hard to mistake!
Leaves: Pawpaw leaves are very large lobed leaves that look very tropical (especially from a distance).
Bark: The bark is typically smooth and gray with some small speckles and bumps.
Fruit: The pawpaw fruits are kidney-shaped, and a hazy green when growing throughout the season. When ripe, they will form brownish bruises on the skin like a banana going bad!
Toxic Look-Alikes: To my knowledge, there aren’t really any look-alikes as far as the flowers and fruit go. The bark may be easily mistaken for young maple trees, and the leaves could be mistaken for something like ash if you don’t know what you’re looking for. That said, the SEEDS of the pawpaw fruit will make you sick! (More on that later)
Nutrition (Per 100g):
Calories: 80
Fat: 1.2g
Carbohydrates: 18.8g
Fiber: 2.6g
Protein: 1.2g
Vitamin C: 18.3mg
Potassium: 345mg
Calcium: 63mg
A small unripe pawpaw
Pawpaws have a very unique flavor that’s somewhat hard to describe. I have only had them once and only the wild ones, but they had a smooth creamy texture (similar to a banana but without fibers or strings) and undertones of something very fruity and tropical. Some people report the flavor being similar to a cross between a banana and a mango, others find wild ones that taste more like vanilla, there seems to be quite a range of flavors with these complex fruit!
A basket of pawpaw fruit
The seeds of pawpaw are toxic to consume, however they are also very large and very easy to remove so there’s no need to worry!
Pawpaw are best enjoyed fresh as they don’t have a long shelf-life (one of the reasons they aren’t sold in stores) but some people do freeze them, make baked goods like pawpaw bread, pawpaw butter, creme-brulee, pudding, wine, cheesecake, you name it!
"a natural custard, too luscious for the relish of most people."
Pawpaw leaves
You may see my pictures and think “For being the largest native fruit in North America, they don’t seem that large…” and that’s mostly because I have only ever found small ones. I don’t know if it’s lack of sunlight (most likely) lack of genetic diversity (also probable) or just that they are wild but I never find the large ones.
Pawpaws have a few interesting growth habits to note:
They are pollinated by flies and carrion beetles, not bees or wasps.
The flowers have both male and female parts, but both are available at different times of the season.
Because of the poor pollination, they tend to spread via suckering. These suckers form “patches” of clones of the parent tree. Often these form little to no fruit since they need other genes to cross-pollinate.
Pawpaws are also very shade-tolerant but less sunlight also means less fruit overall.
Pawpaws serve as a shelter for the eggs of the zebra swallowtail butterfly.
Pawpaws may have a limited distribution, but they are grown from USDA Zones 5-8 (Find your zone here).
Before I get to the cultivars, I want to announce my new pawpaw growing guide! It’s available on my Beacons store for a pay-what-you-want price! If you like my content and want to support me, that’s a great way to do so!
Cultivars:
If you would like to grow your own pawpaws (which I’d highly recommend, especially if you’re in a northern climate) then here are some recommended cultivars on my personal list:
KSU Benson - A highly rated cultivar from Kentucky State University, a heavy producer and an early ripener
Alleghany - Prized for its early ripening and citrus-mango silky flavor.
Mango - This variety has a vanilla-custard flavor, and is good for cooking and baking.
Susquehanna - The largest variety put out by Peterson Pawpaws (linked below) that has excellent flavor.
Wabash - Another Peterson variety with stellar flavor and production.
You can find these varieties here:
My hand by a pawpaw leaf
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