Tree · Annonaceae
Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
North America's largest native fruit, rich as custard and tasting of banana and mango, ripens on a tree few gardeners know.
Full sun
Every 5–7 days
USDA 5–8
15–30 ft · 4.6–9.1 m
Overview
The pawpaw is the largest fruit native to North America, and yet it stays a happy secret in most gardens. It grows wild in the understory of eastern woods, from the Gulf states north into Canada, and carries a soft, green-skinned fruit whose custard flesh tastes of banana and mango together.
This is a small, unhurried tree that in the wild ripens its crop in the shade of taller trees, though it fruits best once it reaches full sun. Its flowers are an unusual maroon, opening in early spring before the leaves, and they invite flies and beetles rather than bees. That gentle quirk, more than anything, decides whether you get fruit, so it helps to plan for it.
Plant a pawpaw and you welcome a tree that asks for a little patience up front and hands back a fruit you will never find in a store. It wants two unrelated trees to set a crop, steady moisture as it settles in, and a few years before it bears. After that it nearly looks after itself, and you will feel every bit the capable grower.
Care
The short version: give it deep, fertile, moisture-holding soil and steady water while it establishes, a little shade for the first year or two, then full sun for the sweetest fruit, and be sure to add a second unrelated tree so the flowers can cross-pollinate.
Light
Young pawpaws welcome shade for their first year or two, much like the woodland understory where seedlings naturally start out. Once settled, the tree fruits best in full sun, and reassuringly it will still grow and bear even in partial or full shade.
Water
Pawpaws thrive on deep, evenly moist soil that still drains freely, and they appreciate regular watering through the first two years while their roots take hold. They happily accept moist river-bottom ground, but they will not sit in heavy or waterlogged soil that never dries.
Soil
Offer them deep, fertile, well-drained loam that holds moisture and leans a touch acidic, with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. The only two things they truly resist are heavy clay and ground that stays wet, so those are the ones to avoid.
Temperature
Pawpaws are wonderfully tough in the cold, hardy from roughly -20°F to 90°F (-29°C to 32°C), and they need a real winter chill to fruit well. Do keep an eye on a hard late frost in early spring, since the young flowers can take a hit.
Humidity
They lean toward the moderate to high humidity of their native eastern range, around 50% to 80%, which comes along on its own outdoors in those regions. There is really no number to fuss over in the garden.
Feeding
While a young tree is finding its feet, feed a balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20 every couple of weeks from spring into early summer. Ease off gently as the tree matures and settles into steady growth.
Pruning
Happily, pawpaws ask for little pruning. In late winter or early spring, take out dead, damaged, or crossing branches and tidy the shape, and pull the root suckers so the tree does not wander into a thicket.
Repotting
Not applicable; grown in the ground as a landscape or orchard tree, not as a container houseplant
Size & spacing
A grown pawpaw reaches 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9 m) tall and spreads about as wide, so kindly allow it the same 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9 m) of room. Keep in mind it spreads by suckers, so leaving space for the little colony it wants to form saves you fuss later.
When to plant
Pawpaws keep to the gentle rhythm of the temperate woods, and it is easy to follow along. Set out containerized trees in spring as new growth begins so the brittle taproot has the whole season to settle, enjoy the maroon flowers opening in early to mid spring before the leaves, and gather the ripening fruit from late summer into fall.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Spring, during new growth, using containerized stock to protect the brittle taproot
- Harvest: Blooms early to mid spring before the leaves emerge; fruit ripens late summer to early fall (about August to October)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 5–8
Temperature: down to -29°C
Troubleshooting
Take comfort in this: pawpaws stay remarkably free of pests and disease, so most trouble comes down to pollination or a rough transplant rather than bugs. Match what you see below and the cause is usually plain. Step in early and the fix is simple and forgiving.
The blooms arrive, yet hardly any fruit follows
Try not to worry, because an empty tree almost always points to pollination and nothing worse. Pawpaws are mostly self-incompatible, and bees skip the flowers, so a single tree or two grafts of one cultivar seldom carries a crop. Give it two unrelated trees for company, and lend a hand with pollination when flies and beetles are few.
Fix:
- Plant at least two different cultivars or unrelated seedlings; hand-pollinate flowers if natural fly and beetle activity is low
A young tree sulks or fades soon after planting
This one catches many kind gardeners off guard, so take heart. The pawpaw sends down a long, fleshy, brittle taproot with almost no fine hairs, and it truly dislikes being lifted and moved, which is why wild or bare-root plants so often fail. You can sidestep the trouble by setting out container-grown stock in spring as new growth begins, then giving young seedlings gentle shade for a year or two while the roots settle.
Fix:
- Use container-grown stock, transplant in spring during new growth, and shade young seedlings for the first one to two years
Flower stalks shrivel and fall before any fruit sets
If a few blooms drop early, the culprit is usually the peduncle borer moth, whose larvae tunnel into the flower stalks and end the bloom before it can set. The good news is the damage stays small, so simply pinch off and destroy the affected stalks and let the rest carry on. Your tree also holds natural acetogenins that keep it nearly pest-free the rest of the season.
Fix:
- Tolerate minor damage; remove and destroy affected flower stalks; trees are otherwise nearly pest-free due to natural acetogenins
Speckled leaves or a little nibbling on fresh growth
Once in a while a pawpaw picks up Phyllosticta leaf spot or flyspeck fungi, or a few leaves get chewed by zebra swallowtail larvae, Japanese beetles, or thrips. It always looks scarier than it is, so please do not fret. The harm stays cosmetic and hardly touches your crop, so no spray is called for, and the swallowtail caterpillars leave no lasting mark.
Fix:
- Usually cosmetic and not harmful to yield; no treatment normally needed; zebra swallowtail larvae seldom cause permanent damage
Toxicity
The ripe, peeled flesh is a real treat and safe for people, though the rest of the plant is not for eating. The seeds and skin hold acetogenins that upset the stomach, and the leaves, twigs, and bark carry insecticidal compounds. No pet-toxicity data is on file, so it is wise to treat the seeds, skin, foliage, and prunings as a mild caution around animals and children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Safe for
People
Cats Caution
There is nothing cat-specific on record, so a little care goes a long way. Since the seeds, skin, leaves, and twigs hold acetogenins that can unsettle the stomach, it helps to keep a curious cat from chewing fallen fruit or prunings.
Dogs Caution
A dog that gulps down seeds, skin, or chewed leaves might drool or feel queasy from the acetogenins. The ripe flesh is gentle enough, but it is kind to tuck the rest of the plant well out of reach.
Horses Caution
No grazing records exist for horses, so the safe path is the easy one here. The bitter leaves and twigs carry insecticidal compounds, and fencing them off is far better than offering them.
Rabbits Caution
It is best if rabbits do not nibble the foliage, seeds, or skin, since the acetogenins can irritate a delicate gut. A small taste of ripe pulp is the only part worth thinking about, and even that just rarely.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, goats, and sheep usually leave the bitter leaves well alone, and that instinct serves them nicely. Clearing prunings and fallen seeds from pastures keeps everyone comfortable.
Birds Caution
In the wild, birds and mammals enjoy the ripe fruit and scatter the seeds, though the seeds and skin are not something a pet bird should swallow. A little ripe pulp is plenty, if you share any at all.
People Ripe flesh safe
The ripe, peeled flesh is a custard-sweet treat and perfectly safe to enjoy. The seeds and skin, though, hold emetic acetogenins that can turn the stomach, and handling the fruit gives a few people a mild skin rash.
Wear gloves when harvesting if you are prone to skin irritation; do not eat or let pets or children chew the seeds, skin, leaves, or twigs.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Wild pawpaws vary a good deal from tree to tree, so breeders have gently chosen the best for size, flavor, and few seeds. These named cultivars are the ones truly worth seeking out.
Shenandoah
You will love this Peterson Pawpaws release for its large, yellow-skinned fruit, butter-colored flesh, gentle sweet flavor, and few seeds for the size of the fruit.
Susquehanna
Another Peterson Pawpaws release, this one wins hearts with very large fruit, thick flesh, few seeds, and a sweet, rich flavor.
Mango
A hardworking, vigorous selection that carries round fruit with lovely orange-yellow flesh.
Sunflower
A large, late-ripening pawpaw with roots in eastern Kansas, and an easy one to grow fond of.
How to propagate
You can raise a pawpaw from seed if you have a little patience, and it is a rewarding path, though a named cultivar only stays true to type when it is grafted.
SeedModerate
Raising a pawpaw from seed is a patient, rewarding project. The seed asks for 90 to 120 days of cold, moist stratification before it will sprout, and the seedlings take their time early on. They also come up genetically variable, so a seed-grown tree will not match its parent cultivar, which is part of the fun.
GraftingDemanding
Named cultivars stay true only through grafting, never seed. Growers join a cutting of the chosen variety onto a seedling rootstock using whip-and-tongue, cleft, bark inlay, or chip budding, a skilled step that rewards good timing and a steady hand, and one you can grow into with practice.
Myths
Pawpaws are pollinated by bees.
The flowers give off a faint, sour smell that bees happily avoid, so do not count on them here. Flies and beetles do the real work, coaxed in by that odor, which is why a row of pawpaws stays hushed of buzzing even in full bloom.
One tree, or two of the same grafted cultivar, will give you a full crop.
Because pawpaws are largely self-incompatible, a flower cannot be fertilized by its own pollen or a clone of itself, so a lone tree leaves you waiting. You need two genetically different trees for a real harvest, meaning two seedlings or two separate cultivars, never two copies of the same one.
The whole fruit is safe to eat.
Only the ripe pulp belongs on your plate, so scoop it out and set the rest aside. The seeds and skin carry acetogenins that can turn your stomach, and once you know that, enjoying the soft flesh is simple and worry-free.