Growing Pawpaw Trees In The Yards

Pawpaw trees produce the largest edible fruit native, and they’re perfect for backyard gardeners. The aromatic pawpaw fruit has a tropical flavor, resembling creamy custard made from bananas, pineapples and mangos. Pawpaw trees are deciduous plants native to North America. They tend to grow at the lowest level of a forest, under the canopy, and form thick woven patches that can act as ground cover in the wild. A fruit can be harvested from the pawpaw tree that is edible and has the same appearance as a papaya, although the flavor is more like a banana mixed with a peach. The trees are notoriously hard to pollinate, because normal pollinators do not visit the flowers. Home gardeners take an interest in pawpaw trees because they are low maintenance and naturally resistant to most diseases.

The pawpaw tree is a member of the species Asimina triloba, part of the Annonaceae family. It is the only member of the family that grows outside of tropical climates. Even though pawpaw trees often act as ground cover, they grow to an average size of 10 to 30 feet (3 to 9 meters). The tree has long, dark green hanging leaves. These trees naturally grow beneath the forest canopy, so they require only partial sun to grow and have difficulty tolerating full sun.