Description
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) would be worth growing just as an ornamental, with a handsome pyramidal habit; deep green leaves; and yellow fall color. This deciduous tree is also a food source for the larvae of zebra swallowtail butterfly. Its main attraction, though, is its large, edible fruits. They look totally unappealing from the outside, with thin, greenish yellow, black-speckled skin, but when you cut open a ripe pawpaw, you’ll find soft yellow flesh that has a rich strawberry-banana flavor and a powerful, sweet fragrance. You generally need at least two seedlings for cross-pollination, and you may find (as I have) that hand-pollinating—using a small, soft brush to move pollen from one tree to the receptive flowers of another—can encourage better fruit set. Usually reaching somewhere around 15 to 25 feet tall, and spreading by root suckers to form broad patches, pawpaw is native to the southeastern United States. Full sun to partial shade; average to moist but well-drained soil. Zones 5 to 9.
2022-collected seeds are sold out. I hope to collect again in fall 2023. At least 10 seeds. These seeds have been cleaned and immediately stored in moist paper towel at room temperature.
Please read the germination information as well before ordering.
Lydia (verified owner) –
I refrigerated in moist vermiculite for the winter, planted in pots in the spring and got excellent germination.