Paw-Paw

Asimina triloba

Annonaceae (Custard-Apple Family)

▲ Grove of paw-paw trees at Springfield Nature Center

▲cultivated tree at University of Missouri Southwest Center in Mount Vernon, MO

▲▼Leaves and branching of paw-paw trees in Stone County, MO

▲unripened fruit on tree

▲ripe and unripened fruit on ground

▲ripe fruit on ground

Location on campus:  south of Plaster Student Union; amongst junipers along west end of retention basin, south of Grand St.

Asimina triloba:  Paw-Paw

• leaves alternate, large—6-12 inches long and 1/3 to ½ as wide; oval with pointed tip and smooth margins; medium green on both sides; glabrous on leaf upper surface with some hairs along veins on leaf lower sides
• stems slender, brown, with bad odor if bruise/broken, hairless; pith is solid and white, with green bands in 2 year old twigs
• grows 15 to 40 feet tall and about ½ to equally wide; forms colonies from root sprouts
• flowers are purple, 1-2 inches in diameter in mid spring; attractive, but hidden by foliage
• fruit is a fleshy berry, 2-5 inches long and ½ to 2/3 as wide; green at first, turning brown to black; yellow, pulpy flesh is edible and tastes similar to bananas
• bark is brown with gray patches when young, becoming scaly at maturity
• prefers part to full shade (an understory tree), but can grow well in full sun
• prefers moist, well-drained, fertile soils that are slightly acidic
• native to Missouri