
- Size. The pawpaw does not grow very tall--a 30-foot specimen is considered large and most grow to heights between 12 and 20 feet.
- Identification. The oblong leaves of the pawpaw are a dark green shade and droop on the branches. The leaves make the tree appear to be a tropical species.
- Growing Conditions. Direct sunlight harms the development of a pawpaw tree. ...
- Transplanting. Once you have an established pawpaw tree you may develop more since new trees can grow from the root sprouts.
- Types. The cultivars of the pawpaw tree include the Mitchell, Prolific and Overleese, all of which produce a tasty fruit.
How to identify pawpaw trees?
How do I identify a paw paw tree? The dark green leaves of Pawpaw have a tropical look, with their large, shiny blades that are distinctly obovate (widest just behind the leaf tip). They often hang down like "dog ears" from the twigs, and may display a clear yellow or golden brown autumn color. Click to see full answer.
Where can you find Paw Paw trees?
Sep 16, 2019 · If you take a walk through Central Park East Woods, keep an eye out for Pawpaw trees! In this video, our natural resources coordinator Brittany shares how yo...
How big does a pawpaw tree get?
Sep 09, 2021 · How to Identify a Pawpaw Tree? Identifying a Pawpaw tree is relatively simple; if you know what to look for, let’s take a closer look. Foliage. The leaves are oblong, narrow at the base, then broadening towards the tip before coming to a point at the end. They droop in a downward direction, giving a tree in full leaf a very distinctive appearance.
How to grow and care for pawpaw trees?
Mar 17, 2015 · Learn to tell the difference in the Paw Paw tree and see which one is male and which one is female, so you know which one will have fruit.FOLLOW US ON TWITTE...

What does the pawpaw tree look like?
What do Pawpaw trees look like. Pawpaw trees have slim trunks (10-30′ tall) with fairly smooth bark that is pock-marked. Large clusters of leaves (12″ long) with smooth margins will line branches and terminate at the end. The trunks are quite flexible, and easy to bend as they don't get that large.
What does the bark of a pawpaw tree look like?
The bark of pawpaw trees is light ash to dark brown, thin, smooth, and with age becomes warty with blotches.
What animals eat pawpaw?
The fruits of the pawpaw are eaten by a variety of mammals, including raccoons, gray foxes, opossums, squirrels, and black bears. The unpleasant smelling leaves, twigs, and bark of pawpaws contain natural insecticides known as acetogenins.
How big does a pawpaw tree get?
Tree size: 15 to 20 feet tall, 15 to 20 feet wide; can grow to 30 to 40 feet tall in ideal locations. Growth rate is moderate.
What is a Pawpaw tree?
With leaves and branches that deer avoid, and fruit that is loved by all, the pawpaw ( Asimina triloba) is a fascinating native tree. It’s the only local member of a large, mainly-tropical plant family (Annonaceae), and produces the largest edible fruit native to North America. Despite being a small, understory tree, ...
When do pawpaws ripen?
One of the most tasty late-season rewards for hikers and wildlife alike is the pawpaw fruit, which begins to ripen in late summer and peaks in September and October. The flavor of pawpaw fruit is often compared to bananas, but with hints of mango, vanilla, and citrus. The fruit has the ungainly appearance of a small green potato and may occur in clusters on the tree. In spite of pawpaw’s prevalence in NCR forests, successfully foraging for its fruits can be a challenge. Pawpaw is self-incompatible, which means that pollen produced on a plant cannot pollinate flowers on the same plant. Instead, to produce fruit, a pawpaw flower must receive pollen from flowers on another tree, and sometimes this “other tree” is farther away than it may appear at first glance! Although pawpaws frequently grow in clusters (think pawpaw patch), the trees in a patch are often genetically identical and connected underground by roots (and thus, in biological terms, are a single plant). Nonetheless, pawpaw’s pollinators (which include flies and beetles) inevitably pollinate some flowers, and fruit-hunters may eventually find a tree with fruit. The next hurdle for the human forager is determining if the fruits are ripe; lightly shaking a tree will dislodge any ripe fruits that have escaped the notice of local wildlife. Opossums, foxes, squirrels, raccoons, and birds are all known to enjoy pawpaw fruit.
What animals eat Pawpaw fruit?
The next hurdle for the human forager is determining if the fruits are ripe; lightly shaking a tree will dislodge any ripe fruits that have escaped the notice of local wildlife. Opossums, foxes, squirrels, raccoons, and birds are all known to enjoy pawpaw fruit.
What trees are resistant to deer?
Striped maple and American beech were found to make up 82% of all trees in the deer-browsed forests. The authors of this study speculate that these forests may experience unprecedented changes which will ultimately lead to a forest canopy dominated by only a few species that are resistant to deer browse.
Where is the striped maple found?
Interestingly, a similar phenomenon has been observed in over-browsed forests in central Pennsylvania. In these forests, the small, understory species striped-maple (Acer pensylvanicum) has become increasingly common in the forest understory over a 60-year observation period.
Where does the Pawpaw tree come from?
The pawpaw tree ( Asimina triloba) is native from the Gulf Coast up to the Great Lakes region. Not commercially grown, or rarely, the pawpaw fruit has yellow/green skin and soft, creamy, almost custard-like orange flesh with a delicious sweet flavor.
Do pawpaws self pollinate?
Although they have both male and female reproduction parts, they are not self-pollinating. The pawpaw’s blossoms are protogynaus, which means that the female stigma matures but is not receptive at time that the pollen is ready for fertilization. Pawpaws are most often propagated via seed, and their sex cannot be determined until they flower.
How big are pawpaw leaves?
Pawpaw leaves form in clusters and are extremely, up to 12″ long (30 cm) by 4″ wide (10 cm). They are oblong shaped and alternate along a trunk with smooth margins and veined.
How to grow pawpaw seeds?
How to sow pawpaw seeds 1 To sow Pawpaw seeds, begin by soaking the seeds in tap water for 24 hours. 2 Then, winter sow the seed, or cold stratify the seed for 90 days. 3 Plant pawpaw seeds 1″ deep (2.5 cm). 4 Germination could take months after temperatures warm up, so don’t give up and be patient!
What is the name of the tree that grows in full sun?
Scientifically known as Asimina triloba and producing sweet fruit, it prefers wet to medium moisture and is adaptable in that it can grow in full sun to full shade. This small tree (10′) in the center of the picture is a Pawpaw. This is what they actually look like in the wild, found in deep Appalachia.
Why is the bark of a pawpaw rough?
Bark of the Pawpaw is relatively smooth but with a slight roughness. The roughness is due to the air pockets when the bark is young. When you combine the bark texture with the tree size and shape, you can have a good idea as to whether it is a Pawpaw tree. Pawpaw Bark.
What is pawpaw fruit?
Pawpaws are a tropical fruit that is native to North America. Typically 3-6″ long and peanut shaped, it is a sweet, yet custard like flavor. If allowed to ripen, they have the consistency of a yellow banana that is just starting to turn brown. Soft and smooth.
What is the largest fruit in North America?
Soft and smooth. Pawpaws are the largest native fruit in North America, reaching up to 1 kg in size [1]. Additionally pawpaws have lots of nutritional value and are sweet, making them popular with many animals.
