Join / Renew / Gift Donate Shop Member Portal Language

Search
npsot_bluebonnet_full_color

Native Plant Society of Texas

Pawpaw

Asimina triloba

Other common name(s):

Common Pawpaw, Custard Apple, Indian Banana, Wild Banana

Family:

Annonaceae (Custard-Apple Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

10
to
40
ft.

Spread

10
to
40
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Loam, Moist, Rich, Sand

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade, Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Riparian, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Purple, Red

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Fruit, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Butterflies, Small Mammals

Maintenance

A good understory tree. Sometimes forms colonies, spreading by root shoots. Provides yellow-green fall color and attractive flowers. Plant away from patios where fruit can stain walkways. WARNING: causes skin irritation when handling fruit, fruit edible but some symptoms might include severe stomach and intestinal pain for some people. Native habitat: ditches, ravines, flood plains, rich damp woods.

Description

Blooms April-May. Forms a small, short-trunked tree or large, multi-stemmed shrub, with large, thick oblong leaves. Foliage smells like motor oil when crushed. The bark is shallowly furrowed in larger trees. New shoots are covered with dense, brown hairs. Solitary, six-petaled flowers are borne in leaf axils before leaves emerge. They have a fetid smell. The fruit is an elongated, dark green to yellow berry, up to 6 inches, turning dark when ripe. Larval Host: Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly, Pawpaw Sphinx Month.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Annona triloba L., Orchidocarpum arietinum

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed Stratification PawPaw seeds need a cold stratification period of 70-100 days at 35 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. To fulfill this requirement Keep seeds in slightly moist sand or other sterile substrate in the refrigerator after collection. After stratification plant seeds 1 inch deep in tree pots at temperatures of 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit. PawPaw can be slow to germinate and take several months to emerge. Using bottom heat under the tree pots can speed germination and seedling growth. Use at least 14 inch tree pot to accommodate deep roots. Keep seedlings moist, in a partially shaded area after they emerge. It is also possible to plant stratified seed directly in its final growing bed. though germination will be less reliable. Remove seeds from the fruit and wash off the pulp before bagging in slightly moist, refrigerated media such as sand. https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/crop-production/pawpaw-production-guide/#:~:text=Pawpaw%20can%20be%20propagated%20by,germination%2C%20which%20is%20largely%20impractical.
Seed No Treatment The entire pawpaw fruit can be planted in the ground the autumn, with very good likelihood that it will put up shoots in the spring. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pawpaw/propagating-pawpaw-trees.htm
Seed Scarification Let the fruit ripen to maturity first, as it tends to drop from the tree while still green. Let the fruit sit in an airy spot until the flesh softens, then remove the seeds. Allow the seeds to dry, scarify them, and then store them in a cold spot for two to three months. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pawpaw/propagating-pawpaw-trees.htm
Softwood Cutting Dip the cuttings in rooting hormone and sink them in rich, moist growing medium. It’s best to take several cuttings, as the success rate of rooting is usually very low. take softwood cuttings of 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm.) in late summer. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/pawpaw/propagating-pawpaw-trees.htm

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason