Pawpaw, is a native, understory deciduous tree in the pawpaw family (Annonaceae). The cultivar 'Wabash' is noted for its plump, sweet fruits. This cultivar was selected by R. Neal Peterson at the Blandy Experimental Farm, University of Virginia. It typically grows best in well-drained, slightly acidic, fertile soil. The bark is smooth with wart-like lenticels. The leaves are alternate, produce a pungent odor when crushed and display a bright yellow fall color. In spring, it produces 6-petaled, purplish-brown flowers. Flowers have both male and female parts but are self-incompatible. A genetically different pollen donor (a pollinizer) is needed for fruit production. Plant at least two cultivars that can act as reciprocal pollinizers. The tree produces a 2.5- to 6-inch fruit that matures in late summer to early fall. Hand pollination can lead to heavy fruit set, but fruit clusters should be thinned to one fruit per cluster to maximize fruit size and flesh-to-seed ratio. Wildlife eagerly seeks out the fruits and often beats humans to the harvest. 'Wabash' is a mid-season cultivar with medium-sized, fleshy, few-seeded fruits. The fruits have a good flavor and dark yellow flesh. Fruit size averages 6.5 ounces, and production averages 65 fruits per tree. This cultivar is sometimes troubled by fruit cracking. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. The pawpaw peduncle borer ( Talponia plummeriana ) is a small moth whose larvae burrow into flower stalks. They can destroy large numbers of flowers. This pest is in NC. The zebra swallowtail butterfly larvae feed on young leaves, but they seldom do permanent damage, nor do they affect fruit yield. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Asimina triloba .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheAsimina trilobaAsimina triloba 'Overleese'Asimina triloba 'Sunflower'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Edible; Perennial; Tree
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
12-24 feet
Mature size
Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Broad; Erect; Multi-trunked; Pyramidal; Spreading
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong; Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth; Soft
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Alternate, simple, obovate to oblong 6 to 12 inches long 2 to 3 inches wide with a green pepper odor when crushed. The leaves are in two ranks and hang pendulously from the stem. The leaf underside is pale and glaucous.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Purple/Lavender
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The burgundy flowers bloom in spring but are not showy. They are purplish brown with 6 petals and are 1 to 1.5-inches in diameter. They have a foul odor as they are pollinated by flies, but the odor is faint and not off-putting.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Edible; Fragrant
Fruit size
> 3 inches long
Fruit detail
Very large, 6" long, cylindric sweet green to yellow fruits. It is heavy bearing with great quality. Ripens in mid-season. Several dark brown seeds are inside.
Bark color
Light Gray
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Blandy Experimental Farm, Univ. of Virginia
Wildlife value
Its flowers are pollinated by flies and beetles. Its fleshy fruits are eaten by songbirds, wild turkeys, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, black bears, and foxes. Pawpaws are larval host plants for the Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus). The adult butterflies lay eggs in the north during two flights between April and August and in the south between March and December.
Attracts
Butterflies; Moths; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Wabash pawpaw produces sweet fruit. It is heavy bearing with great quality. Ripens in mid-season.
Seeds and unripe fruit may cause stomach and intestinal pain. Be sure fruit is ripe before ingesting. Skin irritation from handling fruit. Do not consumer leaves or stems.