Pawpaw is a deciduous tree that grows from 9-30 ft tall. The leaves are oblong, 5 - 10" long, narrow at the base, widest at the midpoint. This small deciduous tree typically occurs in large numbers in colonies, or "patches." Flowers dull-purple, drooping petals, curved backwards, 1 - 2" across, appear before the foliage, and includes 3 green sepals that enclose 6 petals in two cycles. The outer petals are triangular. Crushed leaves have an unpleasant odor and the green-brown fruit is cylindrical, slightly curved, 3 - 5" long; soft pulp has a banana flavor when ripe. Both the leaves and seeds, when crushed, have insecticidal properties.

Pawpaw flowers from February thru May and fruits ripen June thru August. It grows in deciduous woods and along river bottoms. The fruit is edible but the seeds are toxic.

The pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to America. Individual fruits weigh 5 to 16 ounces and are 3 to 6 inches in length. The larger sizes will appear plump, similar to the mango. The fruit usually has 10 to 14 seeds in two rows. The brownish to blackish seeds are shaped like lima beans, with a length of 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches. Pawpaw fruits often occur as clusters of up to nine individual fruits. The ripe fruit is soft and thin skinned. It is green when unripe, maturing to yellow or brown. It has a flavor somewhat similar to both banana and mango, varying significantly by cultivar, and has more protein than most fruits.

When ripe, it is soft and yields easily to a gentle squeeze, and has a pronounced perfumed fragrance. The skin of the green fruit usually lightens in color as it ripens and often develops blackish splotches which do not affect the flavor or edibility. The yellow flesh is custard-like and highly nutritious. The best fruit has a complex, tropical flavor unlike any other temperate zoned fruit. At present, the primary use of pawpaws is for fresh eating out of hand. The ripe fruit is very perishable with a shelf life of 2 or 3 days, but will keep up to 3 weeks if it is refrigerated at 40° - 45° F.

Pawpaw trees are relatively disease-free, including a resistance to Oak Root Fungus (Armillaria). A number of animals such as foxes, opossums, squirrels and raccoons will eat the fruit, although deer, goats and rabbits will not eat the leaves or twigs. The Zebra Swallowtail butterfly's larvae feed exclusively on young pawpaw foliage, but never in great numbers.

Poor pollination has always been a problem with the pawpaw in nature, and the problem has followed them into domestication. Pawpaw flowers are perfect, in that they have both male and female reproduction parts, but they are not self-pollinating. The stigma is receptive before the pollen is shed from the anthers of the same flower. In addition, pawpaws are self-incompatible, requiring cross pollination from another unrelated pawpaw tree. Bees show no interest in pawpaw flowers. The task of pollination is left to unenthusiastic species of flies and beetles.

Here are some recipes for using pawpaw:

1 c. melted butter

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

2 c. pawpaw pulp

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

4 c. sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3 c. pecan pieces plus 16 pecan halves

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease two 9x4x2-inch loaf pans. Beat together butter, sugar, and eggs. Add and beat in the pawpaw pulp and lemon juice. Sift the flour and baking powder together, and stir them into the batter. Stir in the pecans and scrape the batter into the loaf pans. Garnish each loaf with 8 pecan halves, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The top corners of the loaf will burn, but that adds flavor and character.

1 c. pawpaw pulp

2 oz. grated coconut

1¼ c. half and half

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs, beaten

1 dash salt

2 oz. sugar (superfine preferred)

zest of orange (optional)

Mix pawpaw pulp with coconut. Layer on bottom of buttered ovenproof casserole dish. Heat half and half mixed with the vanilla until bubbles form. Beat eggs with salt and sugar and still beating, pour in the half and half very slowly so as not to curdle the eggs. Add the orange zest if using. Pour over fruit and place in a pan of hot water.

Bake in a moderate oven (375 F) for 30 minutes or until custard is set. Turn out, if possible, when cool to show off the fruit layer.

12 pawpaws (about 5 lbs)

2 c. water

¾ c. sugar

1 lemon

1 orange

Peel pawpaws. Put in kettle with water, without removing seeds. Boil until soft, then put through a sieve. Add sugar and juice of orange and lemon. Boil until thick. Grated rind of orange or lemon may be added. Put in sterilized jars and seal.