Asimina triloba

Plant Characteristics

Habit		tree

Cultivation

Scientific Names

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The Common pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a species of pawpaw, native to eastern North America, from southernmost Ontario and New York west to eastern Nebraska, and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas.

Pawpaw is a large shrub or small tree growing to a height of 11 meters (rarely to 14 m) with a trunk diameter of 20-30 cm.

The leaves are deciduous, spirally arranged, broad lanceolate, 15-30 cm long, with an acute apex and an entire margin.

The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as or slightly before the new leaves appear, each flower dark red, 2-5 cm diameter, with three sepals and six petals; they have a fetid smell.

The fruit is a large yellow-green berry 5-15 cm long, containing several brown, 15-25 mm diameter seeds embedded in the soft, edible fruit pulp.

Read about Asimina triloba in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Asimina triloba, Dunal (Annonalrtloba, Linn.). Fig. 401. Small tree, 10-40 ft. : Lvs. cunéate, obovate-oblong, acute, ½-1 ft. long, glabrous: fls. with the Lvs. from branches of the previous year, green when expanding, changing to purplish red, with yellow in the middle, 2 in. broad: fr.oblong, 2-6 in. long, dark brown. S. states, north to N. Y., west to Mich, and Kan.—This is the only arborescent species of the genus. It is well worth a place in the garden, for its large foliage is very handsome and the fls., appearing in the early spring, are attractive. The large fr. is edible, and may be still improved by cult, and careful selection of the best varieties. Many persons do not relish the highly aromatic flavor; and the large seeds are a disadvantage. The tree has proved hardy in Mass, and Ont. One or 2 named forms have been offered. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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