Pawpaw Fruit is Growing
Note: Here is a short update about pawpaws, our amazing native fruit. We’ll have more stories on Wednesday.
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) trees are finishing their spectacular flowering and have begun making fruit. The really exciting picture is the second one: tiny pawpaws forming after fertilization, on their way to making their glorious fruit. You’ll notice the resemblance of the young fruit to tiny bananas. One name for this tree is “Hoosier banana” (to which the only reply is “I don’t know, who’s yours?”). Below the photos is a pawpaw story from last year. Let us know in the comments if you have eaten pawpaw fruit.
Tree Stories: Pawpaw
I had my first pawpaw as a kid in Baltimore, picked from a grove of trees in the woods near my house. I don’t remember the occasion, but all my senses have a vivid memory of the experience. Custardy, fragrant, intensely sweet. I know that current descriptions compare pawpaw to a combination of banana and mango, but to me, the flavor has always been, well, pawpaw.
I love that the Pawpaw is the host tree for the stunning zebra swallowtail butterfly!
I get loads of pawpaws from a friend who grows them but doesn't like the taste. Every year I make and share pawpaw bread.