Pawpaw
* Common name: Pawpaw
Ripening fruits of the pawpaw tree, left, and what the flesh looks like inside, right.
* Botanical name: Asimina triloba
* What it is: The pawpaw tree is a curious native tree that’s becoming more popular as a home-garden fruit tree since it’s a.) native, b.) tasty, and c.) a species that doesn’t need to be sprayed. It’s also one of the few fruiting trees that deer don’t bother.
Despite that, this isn’t a tree for everyone. For starters, you’ll need at least two of them to produce fruit. Second, the springtime maroon flowers produce a rotting-meat-like smell to attract pollinators. And third, if you don’t harvest all of the fruits (they ripen all at once and don’t keep very well), they’ll drop and rot all over the ground.
If none of that dissuades you, pawpaws produce the biggest edible fruits of any native tree. The kidney-shaped fruits grow three to five inches long and can weigh six to 12 ounces each. They ripen in late September, going from medium green to a lighter, creamier shade in the process.
Fruits have big seeds that can be spooned out, then the flesh has a flavor that most people describe as custardy or banana-like with hints of fruit (mango, strawberry, and pineapple are variously mentioned).
Pawpaw leaves are large and oblong and turn from green to yellow in fall before dropping for the winter.
* Size: Trees grow 18 to 25 feet tall and slightly less in width.
* Where to use: In nature, pawpaws grow in colonies (i.e. “the pawpaw patch”), typically in damp lowlands or as woodland-edge, under-story trees. However, they’ll grow in average garden soil in a sunny to partly shaded yard.
If you have a wooded border or a section of the back yard that you can dedicate to tree fruits, those are two of the best home locations for pawpaws.
* Care: Keep the soil damp the first few years until the roots establish, then give trees a deep, weekly soaking in hot, dry spells. Fertilizer usually isn’t needed.
Remember, you’ll need at least two trees to produce fruit… and even that can take three to four years to get your first crop after planting.
Eliminate crossing or excess branches by pruning at the end of winter, before new growth begins. Any needed size-control pruning can be done at the same time.
* Great partner: Underplanting is optional with a native groundcover, such as golden ragwort, native pachysandra, or white wood asters. Or include pawpaws as part of a home orchard. Otherwise, pawpaws can stand alone.