Pawpaw Tree: How to Grow, Pollinate and Harvest America’s Native Tropical Fruit

By the Garden Voila editorial team · Updated October 27, 2026 · How we verify

A pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba) is a small native North American fruit tree, about 15 to 30 feet tall, that bears the largest edible fruit native to the United States: green, mango-shaped fruit with custard-like, tropical-tasting flesh often compared to banana and mango. Pawpaws are hardy in about USDA zones 5 to 8, need shade when young and sun when mature, and are self-incompatible, so you must plant at least two genetically different trees to get fruit. Grafted named varieties bear in about 3 to 5 years; seedlings can take 5 to 8 years.

Pawpaw tree key facts

What is a pawpaw?

The pawpaw is the northernmost member of a mostly tropical plant family that includes cherimoya, sugar apple and soursop, which explains its tropical flavor. It grows wild as an understory tree along streams and in rich bottomland woods from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. The Wikipedia article on Asimina triloba describes its native range, history and use by Native Americans and early settlers. Trees have large, drooping, tropical-looking leaves up to a foot long that turn golden in fall, and maroon, bell-shaped flowers in spring before the leaves. Pawpaws spread by root suckers, forming clonal patches in the wild.

The pawpaw is also the only larval host plant of the zebra swallowtail butterfly, making it a valuable native plant for wildlife gardens. The Wikipedia article on the zebra swallowtail explains this relationship.

Do pawpaws need a pollinator?

Yes. Pawpaws are self-incompatible, so a single tree, or several trees of the same clone, will rarely set fruit. The University of Kentucky pawpaw crop profile explains that you should plant at least two genetically different trees, either two named varieties or two seedlings, and notes that suckers from the same patch are genetically identical clones and cannot pollinate each other. Flowers are pollinated mainly by flies and beetles, which are less efficient than bees, so fruit set is often low.

Many growers hand-pollinate to improve crops. Use a small soft paintbrush to collect pollen from flowers whose anthers have turned brown and shed pollen, and brush it onto flowers of a different tree whose stigma is still green and glossy. Some gardeners hang a piece of rotting meat or fruit scraps near the trees to attract more flies, but hand-pollination is cleaner and more effective.

Which pawpaw varieties are best?

Named varieties bear larger, better-flavored fruit with fewer seeds than wild seedlings. The University of Kentucky lists varieties such as NC-1, Overleese, Potomac, Shenandoah, Sunflower, Susquehanna and Wabash, along with KSU-Atwood and KSU-Benson from Kentucky State University’s pawpaw breeding program.

For short-season northern gardens, choose early-ripening varieties such as NC-1. Plant two or more different varieties for pollination.

Where should you plant a pawpaw?

Young pawpaws are sensitive to strong sunlight; in the wild they start life in the shade of other trees. The University of Kentucky advises shading seedlings under about 1.5 feet tall during their first year or two. Once established, pawpaws fruit best in full sun or light shade; deep shade produces lanky trees with little fruit. Plant in rich, moist but well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH around 5.5 to 7.0, sheltered from strong winds, which can tear the large leaves. Avoid heavy, waterlogged clay. Check your zone with the growing zone finder and site light with the sunlight requirement finder.

How do you plant a pawpaw tree?

1. Buy container-grown trees; pawpaws have a long, fragile taproot and transplant poorly bare-root or when dug from the wild.
2. Plant in spring, after the risk of hard frost, when the tree is starting to grow.
3. Dig a hole slightly wider than the container and the same depth; the planting hole size calculator helps.
4. Handle the root ball gently and avoid breaking the taproot.
5. Water deeply and mulch 2 to 3 inches deep with wood chips or leaves, away from the trunk.
6. Shade young trees with shade cloth, a tree tube or a temporary screen on the sunny side for the first season or two.

Space trees about 8 to 15 feet apart. Plant several in a group to improve pollination and create a small grove.

How long does a pawpaw take to bear fruit?

The University of Kentucky reports that grafted trees bear partial crops in about 3 to 4 years and full crops by about year 5, while seedlings take about 5 to 8 years. Patience in the early years pays off: a mature tree can produce 25 to 50 pounds of fruit or more in a good year.

How do you care for a pawpaw?

Water regularly during the first few years, about once a week in dry weather, since pawpaws are native to moist bottomlands and dislike drought. Mature trees still benefit from watering during long dry spells, especially while fruit is sizing in late summer. Feed lightly in spring with compost or a balanced fertilizer; the garden fertilizer calculator helps with amounts. Keep a mulch layer to preserve moisture, using the mulch calculator to size it.

Pawpaws need little pruning. Remove dead and damaged branches in late winter, and remove root suckers if you want a single-trunked tree rather than a patch. In a naturalized planting, suckers can be allowed to grow into a grove, but they will not pollinate the parent tree.

When are pawpaws ripe?

Pawpaws ripen from late August to October, depending on variety and climate. Ripe fruit gives slightly to gentle pressure like a ripe peach or avocado, has a strong fruity aroma, and often releases easily from the branch with a gentle tug. Skin color may lighten slightly to yellow-green, and some develop dark spots, which is normal. Many growers lay sheets or netting under trees to catch fruit that drops when ripe. Harvest every day or two during the season, since fruit ripens over several weeks.

How do you store pawpaws?

Pawpaws are highly perishable, which is why they rarely appear in stores. The University of Kentucky notes that ripe fruit keeps about 3 to 5 days at room temperature and about 1 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator, and the pulp can be frozen for about a year.

To use pawpaws, cut the fruit in half, scoop out the flesh and discard the skin and seeds. Eat it fresh, chilled or blended into smoothies, ice cream, custard and quick breads. Use the pulp in place of banana in many recipes.

How do you grow pawpaws from seed?

Pawpaw seeds must never dry out and need a long cold period. The University of Kentucky recommends 90 to 120 days of cold, moist stratification. Clean the seeds, store them in moist peat or sand in a sealed bag in the refrigerator for about three to four months, then sow about an inch deep in tall pots to accommodate the taproot. Germination is slow and can take two months or more, and seedlings grow slowly at first. Seedlings vary in fruit quality, so plant several or graft named varieties onto them later. The seed germination rate calculator can help you track success.

What pests and diseases affect pawpaws?

Pawpaws are remarkably free of serious pests and diseases, partly because their leaves and bark contain natural compounds called acetogenins that deter many insects. Occasional problems include the pawpaw peduncle borer, which attacks flowers; zebra swallowtail caterpillars, which feed on leaves but rarely cause significant harm; leaf spot in wet seasons; and deer browsing on young trees. Japanese beetles sometimes feed on leaves. Raccoons, squirrels and opossums love the ripe fruit. Use the pest identifier for unfamiliar insects.

How do you grow pawpaws in containers?

Pawpaws can be started in deep containers, which suit their long taproot, but they are not good long-term container trees because of their size and root system. Use tall pots of at least 5 to 7 gallons for young trees, keep them in bright shade and plant them out within one to three years. Root-pruning containers or air-pruning pots help seedlings develop a more fibrous root system that transplants better.

Where can you find pawpaws if you are not growing them?

Look for pawpaw festivals and farmers’ markets in late summer and early fall in states such as Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. Wild pawpaws grow along streams and in rich woodlands in much of the eastern United States; if you forage, be sure of your identification and get permission on private land. A few specialty nurseries and orchards sell fruit online, shipped quickly because of its short shelf life.

Pawpaw vs papaya: what is the difference?

In some countries, papaya is also called pawpaw, which causes confusion, but the two are unrelated.

Are pawpaws good for wildlife gardens?

Yes. Besides hosting zebra swallowtail caterpillars, pawpaw flowers feed early flies and beetles, the fruit feeds mammals in fall, and the dense patches give cover to birds. Planting a small grove of mixed seedlings creates habitat and improves pollination at the same time.

A pawpaw patch, once established, can produce for decades with little care beyond watering in drought and an occasional thinning of old stems.

For planting timing and site preparation for all fruit trees, see when to plant fruit trees and best soil for fruit trees.

Pawpaw is also one of the few native fruit trees that thrives in partly shaded, moist corners where apples and peaches struggle, which makes it a useful addition to woodland edges and stream-side gardens.

This article is part of our fruit trees guide, which groups all our fruit growing advice by crop.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: University of Kentucky, Pawpaw Crop Profile; Wikipedia, Asimina triloba; Wikipedia, Zebra swallowtail.