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All about pawpaws! (species in the genus Asimina)
See USF plant Atlas for detailed list of all 12 Asimina species. Florida is the ONLY STATE in which EVERY species in the genus naturally grows!
https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Genus.aspx?id=145
Pawpaws can be separated into two categories: Lowland pawpaws and Scrub pawpaws.
Lowland Pawpaws
Lowland Pawpaws
Asimina triloba (common pawpaw)
Asminina parviflora (dwarf pawpaw)
These trees have large leaves and prefer richer soils found in river basins. They form extensive root systems that do not survive transplanting. They can be found in any well drained (not a swamp) lowland such as river valleys, from the Apalachicola in N. Florida all the way north to the Great Lakes and west of the Mississippi!
These species both have small, dark purple flowers.
Scrub Pawpaws
Scrub Pawpaws
All 10 other species of Asimina
These small trees down to herb-sized plants are adapted to hot, and extremely poor soil conditions found across Florida. Fire is an important part of their life cycles, to prevent overgrowth from strangling their small forms. After fire, they regrow vigorously from extensive taproot systems. Due to these root structures, they can not be transplanted past a year of age.
The six scrub pawpaws shown below are the most common. The four other species are endangered or near extinct due to development across coastal and southern Florida.
These species have highly variable flowers, in color shape and size. Colors are white, yellow, and purple. Petal number varies between 2-27. Size between 1-4 inches.
Asimina triloba
Common Pawpaw
Delicious fruit! Medium tree 10-40 ft. mature height.
Only present in Apalachicola basin in panhandle of FL.
Not a scrub pawpaw! Tolerates poor FL soils with enrichment. (pic above is from Gainesville FL.)
Medium sized purple flowers.
Asimina Parviflora
Smallflower Pawpaw
Small tree 10-20 ft. mature height.
Similar leaves and flowers to triloba, but everything is smaller.
Not a scrub pawpaw!
Found in FL in humid conditions such as dense understories and near bodies of water.
Tiny purple flowers!
Asimina incana
Wooly Pawpaw
Intermediate size and charateristics between obovata and angustifolia. Highly variable leaf size, but all have fuzziness.
3-8 ft. mature height.
Like all scrub pawpaws, it can grow in terrible soil. Needs good drainage, enjoys fire.
Big white flowers.
Asimina angustifolia
Slimleaf Pawpaw
Shrub. Slim elegant leaf shape.
3-6 ft. mature height.
Like all scrub pawpaws, it can grow in terrible soil. Needs good drainage, enjoys fire.
Will flower on new growth after spring leaves!
Big white flowers, sometimes with purple.
Asimina pygmaea
Pygmy Pawpaw
Small Shrub. Slim leaf shape with rounded ends.
1-3 ft. mature height.
Like all scrub pawpaws, it can grow in terrible soil. Needs good drainage, enjoys fire.
Will flower on new growth after spring leaves!
Little mostly purple flowers. Sometimes only 2 petals. Cute!
Asimina obovata
Bigflower Pawpaw
2nd largest of the scrub pawpaws (A. tetramera is reportedly the tallest, but is super endangered)
8-15 ft. mature height.
Like all scrub pawpaws, it can grow in terrible soil. Needs good drainage, enjoys fire.
Large white flowers, bloom only on ends of braches.
Asimina spatulata
Longleaf pawpaw
Similar in every way to A. angustifolia, but with an enlarged rounded end to the leaves (spatulate).
Range is north of A. angustifolia, so it may have more cold tolerance.
Like all scrub pawpaws, it can grow in terrible soil. Needs good drainage, enjoys fire.
Asimina reticulata
Reticulated Pawpaw
Miniature version of A. obovata, leaves have netted (reticulated) pattern.
2-4 ft. mature height.
Like all scrub pawpaws, it can grow in terrible soil. Needs good drainage, enjoys fire.
FOR SALE!
FOR SALE!
All seedlings grown in my backyard.
All seeds foraged responsibly. (or purchased in the case of premium triloba seed)
NO NATIVE PLANTS WERE HARMED
FDACS Registered Nursery #48031606
All pawpaws need a second blooming plant for pollination, luckily they can all interbreed! Help me in my quest to make some freaky interspecies hybrids!
Pawpaw Seedlings
Pawpaw Seedlings
All plants come in fancy 14 in tall treepots to promote healthy root development.
Try not to keep plants in pots for more than 2 years. These roots need SPACE.
triloba (common pawpaw, tasty fruit one)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
angustifolia (slimleaf pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
spatulata (longleaf pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
incana (wooly pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
pygmaea (pygmy pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
parviflora (dwarf pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
obovata (bigflower pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
Pawpaw Seeds
Pawpaw Seeds
Seeds come in baggies. Keep moist. Keep chilled until ready to germinate. Seeds need a period of chill (~40 deg F. NOT FREEZING)
A. triloba needs a minimum of 3 months cold stratification time, others species unknown but presumed to need less time.
Ask how long each batch has been chilled so far!
triloba (common pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
angustifolia (slimleaf pawpaw)
$10 / oz. (about 20 seeds)
spatulata (longleaf pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
incana (wooly pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
pygmaea (pygmy pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
parviflora (dwarf pawpaw)
SOLD OUT (propagation in progress)
obovata (bigflower pawpaw)
$10 / oz. (about 20 seeds)
(call for availability, they might have sprouted)
Contact me for sales or consultation!
Contact me for sales or consultation!
I will help you put a pawpaw on your property! ...or will at least talk at you about pawpaws for a few hours.
Mike Smith
Banana Hill Pawpaws, Inc.
Gainesville, FL
757-268-2849
Pawpaw Future
Pawpaw Future
Operational Pawpaw Orchard on Banana Hill, south of Melrose FL. COMING SOON
First triloba x angustifolia hybrid generation is growing now!
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