On Wednesday I found myself out at the Conservancy's Waterloo Mills Preserve. Our Natural Resource Manager Kevin Fryeberger gestured to one of the Pawpaw trees he has planted on the preserve and asked if I could identify its species. I confessed that I had no idea and moments later, thanks to Kevin, I enjoyed a fresh-off-the-tree and perfectly ripe pawpaw fruit. I am proud to report that the pawpaw did not smell like rotting meat as it is often described and the fruit has the delicious taste and texture of something between a mango and a banana. 

Best of all, the tree has several other exciting benefits that lead me to strongly recommend that you plant it on your property this fall. The Pawpaw tree, Asimina triloba, is native to much of the United States and parts of Canada. It has the largest edible indigenous fruit to the United States. The tree’s brown flowers are the only brown flowers other than Wild Ginger native to Pennsylvania. Although the Pawpaw tree commonly grows in floodplains, it will also grow well in upland habitats. And the final item on the “reasons-why-you-should-plant-a-Pawpaw-tree list” is the Zebra Swallowtail connection. The larvae of the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly feed exclusively on the young leaves of the tree. 

I hope I have you convinced to plant a pawpaw. Though it will be a few years before you can enjoy the (literal) fruits of your labor, I do believe that it’s an investment that has an excellent payoff. The trees can be found locally at Redbud Native Plant Nursery andYellow Springs Farm and Nursery, should you find yourself feeling so inspired.