Plant · P-430

Pawpaw

Asimina triloba

Pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to North America, with a custard-like texture and a flavour often compared to banana. It is a natural understory tree that spreads into colonies by underground runners, and it needs two genetically distinct trees to set fruit since a single tree cannot pollinate itself. Fruit quality varies sharply between seedlings, from banana-custard to unpleasant, so grafted named varieties are worth the cost - and both the seeds and heavy or prolonged fruit consumption carry real toxicity risks worth knowing about.