Common Paw Paw  

(Asimina triloba) 

Ripening August-October

Custard Apple Family (Annonaceae)

Both North America’s largest fruit and the state fruit of Ohio, our grandparents used to sing about the common paw paw, yet few seem to be familiar with this tropical-looking native fruit.  More popular within foraging communities, paw paw trees aren’t often seen in landscaping, nor are they sold in grocery stores, although there is the Ohio Paw Paw Festival that takes place each year in Albany Ohio.  With flavors like banana & mango, paw paw fruits ripen best on the tree, tumbling down as summer turns into fall.  Before hungry foragers have the opportunity to shake down some fruits, the paw paw tree needs help from pollinators, like flies & beetles, visiting their deep maroon flowers in springtime.  Unlike a sweet-smelling rose, a paw paw flower smells more like something in the fridge went bad, like old meat.

Resource Links to Learn More:

Visit Illinois Wildflowers for more in-depth descriptions and information about faunal associations for the common paw paw.

iNaturalist provides a plethora of photos to help identify common paw paw trees along with maps showing where common paw paws have been observed.

Check out this video by Learn Your Land to learn more about how to identify and locate common paw paw trees.