# common pawpaw (*Asimina triloba*) The common pawpaw is a small tree that grows delicious, sweet fruits. Its leaves are big and green, and the tree can be found in many forests across North America. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 54 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Custard Apple ![common pawpaw](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Asimina_triloba3.jpg&width=800) Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asimina_triloba3.jpg) ## Appearance The common pawpaw is a small deciduous tree with large, oblong leaves that turn bright yellow in fall. Its unique bell-shaped, purplish-brown flowers appear before the leaves. The kidney-shaped fruit ripens from green to yellow-brown. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Magnoliales - **Family:** Annonaceae - **Genus:** Asimina ## Interesting facts - George Washington's favorite dessert was chilled pawpaw fruit! - Its unusual flowers are pollinated by flies and beetles, not bees! - Pawpaw leaves contain natural insecticides, protecting them from most pests. - The pawpaw is North America's largest native edible fruit! ## Special abilities - **Stinky Attractor:** common pawpaw has flowers that smell like rotting meat to attract flies and beetles for pollination. - **Toxin Shield:** common pawpaw has special chemicals in its leaves and twigs that deter most insects and deer. - **Understory Survivor:** common pawpaw can grow well in the shade of larger trees, helping it thrive in forest environments. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-1000 cm - **Spread:** 200-600 cm - **Flower Size:** 2.5-5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Spicebush Swallowtail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spicebush-swallowtail) (*Papilio troilus*) — larvae eat its leaves for food - **Eats:** Virginia opossum (*Didelphis virginiana*) — enjoys the sweet, ripe pawpaw fruits - **Pollinates:** Blue bottle fly (*Calliphora vicina*) — attracted to its unusual smelling flowers - **Eats:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — feasts on the fallen, ripe pawpaw fruits ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before picking or eating any fruit from trees. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify common pawpaw? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is common pawpaw? 300-1000 cm ### How wide does common pawpaw spread? 200-600 cm ### How big are the flowers on common pawpaw? 2.5-5 cm ### When does common pawpaw bloom? Spring ### Is common pawpaw edible? Yes ### Is common pawpaw toxic? Mild ### What is common pawpaw's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albemarle-and-chesapeake-canal) — Virginia, US · Historic Site - [Cedarville State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedarville-state-forest) — Maryland, US · Forest - [Charlestown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/charlestown-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District - [Elk Neck State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elk-neck-state-park) — Maryland, US · State Park - [Glen Echo Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/glen-echo-park) — Maryland, US · National Park - [Grand Caverns](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grand-caverns) — Virginia, US · Natural Landmark [View all places to see common pawpaw](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-pawpaw) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Pawpaw: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-pawpaw)