Pawpaw
Pawpaw is a fruit in the Annonaceae family. It grows best in full sun to part shade with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 5-9.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Pawpaw
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Tree fruit (grafted) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Largest native fruit; tropical custard flavor. Note: Needs two genetically different trees for pollination; fruit does not ship/store well.
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a native understory tree bearing the largest fruit native to North America, with a custard-like mango-banana flavor; needs cross-pollination between two trees.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Asimina triloba|Hardiness zones: 5-9|Propagation: grafting or seed|Light: Full sun to part shade|Water: Medium|Mature size: 15-25 feet
Plan your pawpaw planting
Add pawpaw to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Refrigerate ripe fruit; ripen firm fruit at room temperature.
- Freeze: Freezes well raw; spread on a tray first so pieces stay loose.
- Preserve: Make jam or water-bath can high-acid fruit.
- Dry: Dehydrate or air-dry, then store airtight away from light.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting
No curated care & troubleshooting advice for pawpaw yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.