Asimina triloba

The Pawpaw is an intriguing temperate fruit tree native to Eastern North America. Sometimes known as the Indiana Banana, the Pawpaw is a large, high quality fruit that simply doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Pawpaw fruit is notorious for bruising easily, making it difficult to pack and ship, preventing its widespread adoption by commercial farmers. You won’t find Pawpaw fruit at your local grocery store, but you might have better luck at the farmer’s market.

Besides delicious fruit, Pawpaw trees are highly ornamental with broad, tropical-looking leaves and an attractive pyramidal canopy. Pawpaws are winter deciduous and lose their leaves during the colder months, with large maroon flowers emerging in spring before the leaves. Trees are slow growing, understory plants that prefer half day sun, well-draining soil, regular moisture, and occasional fertilizing. Pawpaw trees will grow to between twenty and thirty feet tall and require two different plants for pollination.

Cold hardy to USDA Zone 5a or to -20 degrees Fahrenheit.