Pawpaw

Asimina triloba

Scott Bauer, USDA

Taxonomy

Division:: Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:: Annonaceae
Genus:: Asimina
Species:: Asimina triloba

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:: Perennial
Growth Habit:: Shrub , Tree
Height:: 20-40 ft
Light Requirements:: Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Drought Tolerance:: Medium
Bloom Months:: apr, may
Bloom Colors:: White, Red, Yellow, Purple
Food Forest:: Plant contains edible parts

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: Ontario

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Dichrorampha sedatana, Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), obsoletana leafroller (Choristoneura obsoletana), Omphalocera cariosa, Omphalocera munroei, pawpaw sphinx (Dolba hyloeus), Pink-spotted hawk moth (Agrius cingulata), plummer's talponia moth (Talponia plummeriana), Spotted Apatelodes (Apatelodes torrefacta), stinging rose caterpillar (Parasa indetermina), white-striped tussock moth (Hemerocampa leucostigma), Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Butterflies:Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Duskywing sp. (Erynnis Schrank), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea), Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea), Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus), Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:: rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:: 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:: tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:: consistently moist
Notes:: prefers riverbanks and floodplains in native habitat

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Seeds are soaked in water for a few hours or overnight before sowing in outdoor nursery beds in the fall for natural stratification.

Establishment: Seedlings in full sun put on very little growth, shading is critical. Seeds are collected from Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Kentucky and Tennessee, and George Washington Memorial Parkway, Turkey Run Trail.

Source: npn.rngr.net