Pawpaw can be a dwarf shrub or a small tree
Pawpaw Panache
Asimina triloba
Finding your first pawpaw is a thrilling moment.
I can remember exactly where it happened and when. It was the summer of 1987 in Longwood, Florida, in The Springs, a gated community, along a nature walk. I happened to glance over and saw a pair of horribly stunted misshapen green bananas. And as is often the case, once one gets the image of the plant in the head by meeting it in person, one begins to see them. Their most common appearance in Central Florida is along the margins of Interstate 4 in the Deland area, and of course, pastures.
Asimina obovata
Wild pawpaws fall in the same category as gopher apples. The woodland creatures usually find them first so you rarely see a ripe one. The fruit is edible straight from the tree but palatability varies. There are two general types. One ripens early and is large with flavorful yellow flesh; the other is often smaller, ripens later, and has white, milder flesh. You can also divide pawpaws another way, Florida and all others. Florida’s pawpaws tend to be shrubs, if not dwarfs. They are: Asimina obovata, Asimina incana, Asimina reticulata, Asimina longifolia, Asimina pygmaea, and Asimina tetramera. Farther north one can find the Asimina triloba reaching small tree height and in the coastal areas Asimina parviflora. While I have not personally tasted them all Dr. Daniel Austin in Florida Ethnobotany says he presumes they are all edible.
Asimina pygmaea
Pawpaws are rich in nutritional value, including high levels of vitamins A and C. The downside is they don’t ship or store well, on par with loquats. Also they severely nauseate some people, can cause a rash when handled, and the seeds contain a depressant. Incidentally, the fruit is the largest native North American fruit and is heavy on the protein side.
Pawpaws are also a little difficult to cultivate. Well, in fact, they are really hard to cultivate. They need a lot of pampering for a few years to get them started, after that they are quite free of problems. They also attract a wide variety of butterflies. Those who champion the cause of pawpaws think that if they can persuade nurseries to pay more attention to the plant it can be a commercial success. It has few pests so it can be grown organically with little fuss. There might be even pawpaws on your grocery shelf in a few years. That would depend upon the lawyers.
Asimina incana
Like all plants the pawpaw is a mini chemical factory. The Indians used dried pawpaw seed powder to control head lice and pharmaceutical preparations today still use pawpaws for that. The leaves are diuretic and the bark yields a strong fiber for cordage. It also belongs in a family of fruit trees that are suspected in inducing Parkinson’s Disease. That is currently being researched. Pawpaw has not been indicted but to a lawyer all that might be close enough to keep the fruit off the grocery stores shelves. You might have to forage for pawpaws or grow your own. Which reminds me, historically, the pawpaw was under cultivation by Indians east of the Mississippi when de Soto traipsed through in 1541. Chilled papaw fruit was a favorite dessert of George Washington. Thomas Jefferson planted some at his Monticello. I don’t recall of either dying from Parkinson’s.
Asimina longifolia
As for its usual genus name, Asimina (uh-SIM-min-nuh) nearly any guess is as good as any other. My best deduction is the Indians called the bush Assimin (“min” in Algonquin means food, still found in “persimmon.” ) Assimin would be fine enough but then European languages and writers get involved. The early French inhabitants of Louisiana, called the fruit, Asiminer, from which we get the genus name. This is somewhat close to the Latin word for monkey, simia. That led to an early reference to calling the plant “monin” which was an old French word for monkey. That came from the Greek word for monkey, maimou. It changed through Latin into the romance languages as monin, mouninu, monnino, monin. That leads folks to think the fruit had something to do with monkeys but I think it was just an assumption of one botanist who thought Louisiana French were referring to a “monkey plant.” Further, the pawpaw is North American and there are no native monkeys.
One Florida version is Asimina reticulata, (reh-tick-yoo-LAY-tuh) meaning the veins in the leaf have a net pattern. It can be found in slightly damp or occasionally damp areas. Another is Asimina obovata (oh-bo-VAY-ta) meaning egg-shaped leaves. It likes it dryer ground can grow twice as tall as the reticulata. The others are more or less reported, not the most common of shrubs. Locally pawpaws are rarely over a yard high whereas farther north the grow into trees. The A. obovata is listed as rare and the A. tetramera endangered.
Asimina parviflora
One would think pawpaws would be a bit easier to explain, but no, and it also points to one of the problems of the Internet, amateur copiers… and professional copiers as well. Many say pawpaw (or papaw or paw-paw) is a corruption of the American Indian word papaya, a version or cognate shortened by the Spanish. That’s not too bad, no great stretch there. And that it came originally from native Americans seems reasonable. Others, no doubt copying the same wrong site, note that it is Indian then make a huge leap across the Pacific and say it is from the Hindi language, you know, near China… and then younger folks wonder why older folks don’t trust the Internet…
Asimina reticulata
Two aspects of the pawpaw I’ve found interesting is first it is in the Magnolia family and is actually much older than the larger magnolias. The little ol’ pawpaw came first first. Next is that it is pollinated by carrion flies and insects attracted to fetid odors. Growers often put roadkill or rotting meat in their groves to attract the pollinating flies. Now there’s a tasty thought…
How to spell it… dictionaries are split, pawpaw, papaw… if you go back to the original it should be papa said pawpaw. In that regard papaw seems halfhearted. The USDA says pawpaw, Dr. Austin, ever sensitive to language’s influence on botany, went with pawpaw. Pawpaw eliminates mispronunciation, looks balanced to me and reflects thet balanced sound the ear hears… always the musician…
Annual Pawpaw Festival
And in case you wondered since 1994, Kentucky State University http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/ has served as the USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository, for Asimina species, as a satellite site of the NCGR repository at Corvallis, OR. There are over 2,000 trees from 17 states there on 12 acres at the KSU farm. Researchers evaluate the genetic diversity contained in wild pawpaw populations so that unique material can be added to the KYSU repository collection to be used in breeding. And for an unusual recreational and educational opportunity, visit the Annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival in September Lake Snowden in Albany, Ohio for three days of Pawpaw music, food, contests, art, history, education, sustainable living workshops and activities for the kids! http://www.ohiopawpawfest.com/ .
Green Deane’s “Itemized” Plant Profile
IDENTIFICATION: Shrubs or small trees, three to 40 feet, 15 common, evergreen in southern area, deciduous in northern area. Leaves alternate, simple ovate, smooth edge entire, length varies with species, flowers foul smelling of rotting meat, single or in clusters, three large outer petals, three inner smaller petals, white to purple or red-brown. Fruit like cylindrical pears, misshapen, many seeds; green when unripe, maturing to yellow or brown, flavor similar to both banana and mango.
TIME OF YEAR: End of summer, fall
ENVIRONMENT: Rich bottom lands to rain-watered pastures, open areas, beside open areas. The two most common places I find it is at the base of tall pines or in cow pastures.
METHOD OF PREPARATION: Used like a banana, raw or cooked, as in baked desserts, ice cream, pastries, or in making beer. Don’t eat the skin and don’t eat the seeds. Chewed seeds will cause digestive problems, whole seed usually pass through. Try only a very little at first. Some people have a very several allergic reaction to pawpaws.
If you would like to donate to Eat The Weeds please click here.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Deane
Thanks for the brilliant website, I am a recent subscriber! I thought I should comment on your pawpaw post because here in Durban (South Africa) pawpaw do literally come up like weeds in my garden. However, it is the “Carica papaya” and not the plants you mention – which I learned about for the first time on your site. As a fledgling forager, one of the most important things I have learned is that common names are not to be trusted and even, as you mention in some of your posts, botanists sometimes confuse identification of plants! The pawpaw fruits in my garden are large and delicious but mostly stolen by the monkeys and mousebirds!
All the best
Karen
Thanks for writing. Papaya and papaw (orpawpaw) come from the same native term and in some places and languages are used interchangeably.
Interesting read on Florida’s more common Pawpaws. The Pawpaw Chapter of the FNPS hopes to do its first collaborative survey of a rare Pawpaw Relative, Yellow Squirrel Banana (Deeringothamnus rugelii) which only grows in Volusia County. This one is slightly similar to another on the southwest side of the state, Deeringothamnus pulchellus. D. pulchellus caught the attention of an early botanist, John Kunkel Small…primarily by its fragrance before it was even seen. So not all pawpaws smell alike! These more rare pawpaw cousins, possibly developed independently in their isolated communities during the geologic periods on inundation. They belong to the Annonaceae Family so are related to pond apples of more tropical south Florida. There are more questions than answers when it comes to the puzzling pawpaws! More reading in the Fall 2007 Palmetto, The Quarterly Journal of the Florida Native Plant Society.
I wish I had read this before I planted my pawpaw. I have had so many flies this year and a vague dead animal aroma (not strong). I didn’t even think that it might be the plant. One source had mentioned that it might have an aroma that some found unpleasant. That is a pretty mild description of the odor of carrion in my opinion. At least you have to get pretty close to the plant to smell it (within 20 feet or so). I thought the cats had been using the area as a feasting ground or something. Live and learn…
On growing pawpaw; the native grower I got mine from said there is no standard for whether or not they will live in your yard. He said they will either love it or hate it. Mine is planted within 12 feet of a long leaf pine on the south side of a densely treed part of my yard. It loves it there. Too bad the rest of my yard is downwind of it…
While out in the local wilderness off of the beaten path I came across, what I believe to be, A. reticulata. There were a few in the area, about 18 in. high and it was the flowers that caught my attention. I could see some fruits beginning on some of the flowers. Instead of one fruit at a flower though, I saw three. As I drew closer I took a sniff of the flowers and they did not smell of rotting meat at all. On the contrary, they were pleasant. I keep reading of this foul odor though. Is this species an exception?
They are not foul all the time, just when trying to attract a few carion flies for pollenation.
“•
The floral scents of these species are highly dynamic, varying between floral organs, sexual stages and species. Maroon-flowered species of Asimina produce ‘yeasty’ odors, dominated by fermentation volatiles and occasionally containing sulfurous or nitrogenous compounds. White-flowered species of Asimina and Deeringothamnus produce pleasant odors characterized by lilac compounds, benzenoids and hydrocarbons. Annona glabra produces a strong, fruity-acetonic scent dominated by 3-pentanyl acetate and 1,8-cineole.
•
The fermented/decaying scents of maroon-flowered species of Asimina suggest mimicry-based pollination strategies similar to aroids and stapeliads, whereas the pleasant scents of white-flowered species of Asimina suggest honest, reward-based pollination strategies. The scent of Annona glabra is typical of specialized beetle pollination systems common to tropical Annonaceae.” – New Phytologist
Volume 183, Issue 2, pages 457–469, July 2009
Hi all
A most welcome and interesting site! I live in Spring Hill, Florida, in SW Hernando County, on the west coast, not far north of Tampa. There are pawpaws growing in a number of empty lots in my area — in some quite built-up areas (and small lots as well); indeed, I pass some of these regularly, and I am terribly tempted to try and dig some up for my own yard. Some I have not identified as to species; but I certainly have identified Asimina obovata (its beautiful and fragrant banner-like blossoms are actually quite showy) and Asimina pygmaea (whose small purple-russet flowers are foul-smelling). Sometimes only one will be in a lot and sometimes both, as well as possible others. There is one lot nearby, for sale with a commercial zoning, with a dozen or more plants, one of the A. obovatas being a small tree of perhaps 7 feet height. This tree is now (as of the begining of June 2012) full of ripening fruits. I have considered asking the owners if I could abstract a couple of these plants, which would be destroyed if and when the property is built on. But I have heard that they are very difficult to transplant. Is there any hope in it? And are there any suggestions as to how to go about it? Many thanks for this posting!
my grandparent’s have pawpaw tree’s that are very tall,20 t0 30 feet. when the higher up fruit’s fall the small animal’s have a way of relocating the seed’s. I have found small tree’s growing everywhere. Even in the dirt cellar. so planting or scattering seed’s may be the best way to go
I grow pawpaws for a living and I wouldn’t suggest trying to dig one up. A pawpaw that is only a foot tall can have a six foot root on it. I grow six of the eight florida native species. You have the best luck with a container grown plant than digging one up. Terri
Terri, any tips for getting the seeds to germinate? We’ve had terrible results here in Maryland. – John
John,
After stratifying in a baggie of damp peat moss in the refrigerator for 3-4 months,I place them in treepots (bandpots) 9-14 inches tall or 2 liter plastic drink bottles with the top cut off.The media is half perlite/peat moss and the seed is planted about 1/2 inch.
I put the pots in plastic tubs and wrap the tubs with a heating blanket and keep the temperature around 80F. Brady
Hey Deane,
We miss you over at SB forum. Anyway, I found that I am living in the middle of a Pawpaw patch. Lots of small trees. The land had been clearcut and is just now getting back to a nice forested piece of property and the Pawpaw trees are still relatively small but, bearing fruit. The fruit is very small compared to what I seeing on the interweb. 2-3 inches long.
Question, if I tend to the wild Pawpaw trees around my house, ie: water, fertilize, prune etc., domesticate if you will, do you think that the fruit would eventually get larger? or is this just what the wild trees will produce?
Thanks in advance for your your help and wisdom.
Al Diehl
That depends on where you live and which species. South of the Carolinas the pawpaws tend to be shurbs and bushes more than trees.
Yeah, I live in Louisiana and they are not big trees just small low shrubs. That is why I was wondering if “Domesticating” them might not make them bigger and produce better.
Thanks Deane
Al
Mr. Deane, you mentioned in your video that one could pick and ripen the fruit off the plant. How early is too early to do this? Do they need any special conditions to ripen or is on the kitchen counter at room temp acceptable? Thanks, John
I live in KY and can pass on a bit of info on the species we have here in IN, OH and KY. First of all they are fantastic eating. They can be used to make ice cream or simply mixed into plain yogurt. But my favorite use in in bread. Pawpaws can be substituted for bananas in any banana bread recipe. The important thing is that they be ripe.
It is VERY difficult to tell if the fruit is ripe when looking at it on the tree. The surest way to know that it is ripe is to pick it up off the ground. They should be soft. They DO NOT ripen well once off the tree so don’t pick them when they are firm. If you see some in the tree and are wondering if they are ripe, lightly shake the tree. The trees always have slight trunks and are easy to shake. If the fruit does not fall with a slight shake, it is not ready.
If you plant pawpaws you must have two unrelated trees to get fruit. They tend to send out runners and multiply that way far more readily than by seed. Anywhere you see a large patch they are likely all related and will not pollinate eachother. They like to start life as an understory plant at the bottom of a slope and will want sun as mature trees to produce fruit. This makes them VERY difficult to plant. Best to find them where they grow, usually near creeks.
They are fairly easy to identify. They have very large untoothed leaves that run alternately along the branches. There are two trees that can fool you that grow along side. One is the large leaf magnolia. VERY similar but gets quite a bit larger. Pawpaw trunks rarely get much bigger than say soda can. Also the magnolia leaves tend to spread out like fingers at the end of the branch while pawpaw leaves runn alternately down the branch. Another very similar tree as small saw tooth leaf edges. Pawpaws NEVER do.
They are best eaten when they are so ripe that the inside has an almost custard consitancy. They are so soft when fully ripe that handling them roughly will cause them to split open. The inside should be a creamy yellow.
One more hint. They have a very short shelf life and dont last long once they drop from the tree as many critters love em. Here is a nifty tip for successful foraging. They very often grow overhanging creek beds. This is a huge help and heres why: When they are ripe they sink. They usually dont fall until ripe, so if they drop into a slow flowing creek, they will simply go right to the bottom and stay there. The great thing about this is that they are out of reach from most wildlife and also easily missed as its the smell that attracts animals. The cool water and lack of oxygen also prolongs their life by several days. So if you see a tree overhanging a creek, look there first, its your best bet.
My Dad planted two paw paw trees about twenty years ago. They are about twenty feet high and produce alot of fruit. They will only grow in pairs. He loved paw paws as a boy, and finally got them to grow in Seville,Ohio. I am sorry to say that Dad never got to see His trees give forth there fruit, but thanks to Him all of His kids , Grandkids and Greatgrandkids have learned about the tree and to love it’s wonderful fruit.
Really enjoyed all the pawpaw info. I used to live in Ann Arbor, MI and created a small stand of them from seed and a few potted (bought) plants. I hoped to attract Zebra Swallowtails to my butterfly garden. No luck there, but we loved the fruit. I’ve lived now for 6 years near Fort Lauderdale, FL and would really like to acquire one of the local species for my butterfly garden here, but I don’t think A. Triloba can take zone 10. Do you know of any growers/sellers who could supply one of the local native plants? Thanks much, Tom Webb
The right person to contact regarding raising pawpaws where is Terri Pietroburgo in Leesburg, Fl.
1bushwoman@embarqmail.com
Will do. She looks like the right person.
Thanks much,
Tom Webb
Great website for pawpaws I live in Baton Rouge, LA and I purchased my two pawpaw trees a nursery in SC and I don’t know what type they are but they are about eight yrs old and seven feet tall and so far haven’t fruited at all.Phil
I will direct a few fellow students to look into this pawpaw as a possible identity of two trees, one six ft and one ten ft, seen in Hammock Park in Dunedin Fl. If so I’ll tell you; Pinellas county is a heavily humanized landscape. Not a one of us could do anything other than point out similarities to other “knowns”. Between avocado and magnolia but not dark green, looked like a young tree becoming woody and forming a tougher outer cambium toward the base and no flowering.
I live in N. Virginia, and first discovered the pawpaw hiking and fishing the Potomac river. I’m new to foraging, and am afraid to eat most things I don’t know about very well. But pawpaws, in late August and September here, there’s almost no doubt when I first found one, I SMELLED it long before I found it on the ground, they smell fantastic, like over ripe banana, very strong sweet smell, and I hesitated, when I picked it up, it was so soft, I thought yes it must be rotten, but it smelled SO good…so I tasted it…oh boy…they taste fantastic, and I gathered up all I could find, read up on them on the internet and went back for lots more. But yes I can attest to the fact they do not keep well, you need to eat what you find pretty quick. They really are like a gift from God I think, like God handed you a really great piece of candy.