Paw Paw

Asimina triloba

The paw paw is North America's largest native fruit tree, and it earns its place in any landscape twice over. In April, maroon-purple flowers emerge on bare branches. unusual, slightly eerie, and beloved by flies and native bees that emerge early in the season when little else is open. Come August, the fruit appears: soft, custardy, tropical-tasting. People who taste one for the first time can't believe it grew here. The foliage is bold and tropical-looking, up to twelve inches long, turning clear yellow in fall before dropping. Paw paw spreads by root suckers over time, forming dense colonies in the wild. plant in a naturalized area and let it do what it wants. Deer won't touch it. The leaves and stems contain acetogenins that deter most mammals, which is exactly why you want it in a yard where deer pressure is real.