WNC Native Tree Spotlight: Pawpaw




The Pawpaw, Asimina Triloba, is the largest edible wild fruit native to the USA. It occurs naturally in moist, shady places in most of the eastern half of the US. The tree develops a narrowly pyramidal shape with dense, drooping foliage down to the ground level, and seldom grows taller than 25 feet. 

The pawpaw fruit is very nutritious, being high in vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese. They are also a good source of potassium, several essential amino acids, and they contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc. Also knowns as the "poor man's banana", despite the similar spelling, the American pawpaw is not related to the tropical papaya.

 The pawpaw is a small, understory tree, unlikely to grow into the forest canopy, but it is also the most frequently observed sapling in forest monitoring plots that are tracked. This is most often attributed to the fact that deer find the pawpaw leaves unpalatable and so leave them for other trees, allowing the pawpaw to thrive.

The pawpaw tree is favored by gardeners because of its dark green foliage, tropical appearance, and the abundant fruit. The trees thrive in our more temperate climate and can be a good source of seasonal color, as the leaves turn a bright yellow in the Fall, and the brown flower buds open to a deep burgundy flowers from March to May.



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