Pawpaw Tree

The Pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba), is not the winner of the category “most spectacular color in the woods” during autumn. But it does have a wonderful fruit if you can beat the bears to that fruit. Bears love those Pawpaws.

There are many Pawpaw trees here in the mountains, including ones that I’ve planted here surrounding my cabin. My main reason for planting Pawpaws is this tree is the host plant of the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly (Eurytides marcellus). A butterfly that I love to see. Not the most abundant butterfly up here but perhaps more so because of my plantings.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

4 thoughts on “Pawpaw Tree”

  2. Hi Brenda,
    I just learned about pawpaw trees at my Master Gardener propagation class. The instructor recommended planting Pawpaws here in a bucks County, PA to bring back this native tree to the area. So now I’m on a quest for seeds to propagate. Thanks for the information on this tree! I enjoy reading your observations and insights!

    1. Hi dear cousin Judy!

      What fun to hear that you are a Master Gardener! That’s wonderful!

      The Pawpaw trees that I see around me are not creating fruit, either because they are part of a cloned colony or are just too young. I really look forward to seeing them produce fruit!

      I wonder how far you are from Frenchtown NJ and Toadshade Wildflower Farm. I’m sure you have many nurseries that deal with only native plants (I hope!) this is one that I happened to stumble upon and though very far from central Virginia, I’ve dealt with them through the mail and have had positive experience with them.

      Wishing you bunches of luck getting Pawpaw trees started in your area!

      Thank you for reading my posts!
      Bren

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