About this deal
Here are a few more identification features of this strange-sounding tree in case you stumble across one and are unsure if the fruits are edible or just for the birds. How To Identify Pawpaw Tree: What Does a Pawpaw Tree Look Like? Slater, Mitchell A; Anderson, Rogers C (2014). "Intensive Selective Deer Browsing Favors Success of Asimina triloba (Paw Paw) a Native Tree Species". Natural Areas Journal. 34 (2): 178–187. doi: 10.3375/043.034.0207. S2CID 52834948. The protein content is quite high for fruit at 1.2 grams, bearing in mind that an apple only has 0.19 grams. Gottsberger, Gerhard (2008). "Pollination and Evolution in Neotropical Annonaceae". Plant Species Biology. 14 (2): 143–152. doi: 10.1046/j.1442-1984.1999.00018.x. But it was gradually overtaken and lost its popularity to other fruits due to its restrictive growing environments, the fact that they do not travel well over long distances, and do not last a long time once they have ripened.
One southern USA species, Asimina parviflora, does overlap in range with pawpaw. This species is smaller than pawpaw in both its flower and its woody growth. A. parviflora is more shrublike, rarely growing even a third as tall as pawpaw. Genomically verified hybrids of A. triloba and A. parviflora have been classified as Asimina piedmontana. [34] Pollination [ edit ] Downward-hanging pawpaw flowers attract many kinds of insects that are not effective cross-pollinators. Female flower stage at left; male at right.They also serve to occupy empty spaces that need filling yet certain plants may not thrive under circumstances where there is constant shade, for example, or not enough water. Pawpaw flowers are perfect, about 1–2in (3–5cm) across, rich red-purple or maroon when mature, with three sepals and six petals. They are borne singly on stout, hairy, axillary peduncles. The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as or slightly before the new leaves appear, and have a faint fetid or yeasty smell. [3] [13] [25] [26] Sullivan County, Missouri Place Names, 1928-1945 | The State Historical Society of Missouri". collections.shsmo.org. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019 . Retrieved September 21, 2019.
This particular type of Pawpaw Tree pest is barely 10mm long, yet it can cause a lot of damage as its larvae emerge and gnaw into the flowers or the fruits. Kain, Morgan; Battaglia, Loretta; Royo, Alejandro; Carson, Walter P. (July 2011). "Over-browsing in Pennsylvania creates a depauperate forest dominated by an understory tree: Results from a 60-year-old deer exclosure". The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 138 (3): 322–326. doi: 10.3159/torrey-d-11-00018.1. ISSN 1095-5674. S2CID 85648031. But despite this fruit's popularity with locals and its rich nutritional value (it's high in protein, antioxidants, vitamins A and C and several essential minerals), the pawpaw has managed to stay out of most grocery stores and off the radar of big agriculture. a b Kane, Roni (October 26, 2022). " 'Nothing as dramatic as the pawpaw': Ann Arbor pawpaw farmer Marc Boone retraces memories through orchard". Michigan Daily.
a b Barlow, Connie (2001). "Anachronistic Fruits and the Ghosts Who Haunt Them" (PDF). Harvard University Arboretum. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 12, 2013 . Retrieved December 5, 2012. Walker JW (1971) Pollen Morphology, Phytogeography, and Phylogeny of the Annonaceae. Contributions from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University, 202: 1-130. Since 1999, the Ohio Pawpaw Growers' Association has sponsored an annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival at Lake Snowden, near Albany, Ohio. [120] Harris, Grant G; Brannan, Robert G (2009). "An Evaluation of Antioxidant Compounds, Reducing Potential, and Radical Scavenging of Pawpaw ( Asimina tribloba ) Fruit Pulp from Different Stages of Ripeness". Food Science and Technology. 42 (1): 275–279. doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2008.05.006.