Asimina triloba (Paw Paw or Pawpaw)
Asimina triloba (Paw Paw or Pawpaw)
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$30 minimum per species for seed.
$30 minimum per species for seed.
Each species requires a minimum of $30 of seed to proceed with checkout.
Pure Live Seed
Pure Live Seed
Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.
Pure Live Seed (PLS) refers to the percentage of a seed lot that consists of the desired species and is viable (capable of germination).
Here's why PLS is crucial for native seeds:
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Accurate Planting:
- PLS helps determine the actual number of viable seeds in a given weight or volume of seed.
- This ensures you plant the correct amount of seed to achieve the desired density and success rate.
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Cost-Effectiveness:
- By knowing the PLS, you can avoid overspending on seed that may not germinate.
- This is especially important for native seeds, which can be more expensive than some cultivated varieties.
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Weed Control:
- PLS helps minimize the presence of weed seeds within the seed lot.
- This reduces competition for resources and ensures the successful establishment of the desired native plants.
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Ecological Restoration:
- Using high-quality native seeds with a high PLS is essential for successful ecological restoration projects.
- It helps to re-establish diverse and resilient plant communities that support local wildlife.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces
- 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
- 0.25 pounds = 4 ounces
- 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
- 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
- 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a small deciduous tree with large leaves, dark reddish-brown spring flowers, and edible fruit that ripens in late summer to fall. It grows best in rich, moist soil with good drainage. Partial shade suits an understory planting; sunnier sites can support better fruit production when moisture is adequate.
Root suckers can develop into a colony around the original tree. Give pawpaw room to form a patch, or manage those shoots where a single-trunk tree is preferred. Its leaves are a food source for zebra swallowtail caterpillars.
For fruit production, plant genetically different pawpaws for cross-pollination. Multiple suckers from one tree are not separate pollen donors. This is a container-grown species listing, not a named fruit cultivar; fruit characteristics and production are not guaranteed.
Plant specifications & ecological relationships
Key growing facts
| Sunlight | Partial sun to light shade |
|---|---|
| Soil moisture | Moist to mesic |
| Height | About 6-30 ft |
| Bloom season | Mid- to late spring |
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
| Growth habit | Shrub or small tree; underground runners produce offsets and occasional small colonies |
|---|---|
| Root form | Taproot |
| Soil pH | Published cultivation guidance lists acidic soil conditions; no optimal numeric interval is established. |
| Cultivation hardiness zones | Zones 5a–9b (general cultivation guidance) |
| Drought tolerance | Low |
| Deer browsing | Deer generally avoid the foliage in this account. |
| Salt tolerance | None |
| Plant toxicity | Poison characteristics are reported; listed parts: fruits, leaves, seeds, stems. Pet safety is not established. |
Plant identification & seed reference
| Botanical name | Asimina triloba |
|---|---|
| Other common names | pawpaw; Common Pawpaw; Pawpaw |
| Seed germination | USDA lists cold stratification as required; duration is not specified. |
| Plant family | Annonaceae |
| Seeds per pound — reference estimate | 697 |
Plant characteristics
What an interesting tree! Paw Paw is from a genus of plants mostly from tropical and sub-tropical plants. It produces fruit and many people enjoy its fruit referring to it as a cross between a banana and a papaya. However, it does require pollination from distant relatives to produce its fruit, as it protects itself from inbreeding. This tree prefers moist soils and light shade to grow best.
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associates
Illinois woodland and stream communities
Middle Fork Woods, Vermilion County (1999–2002 survey). Recorded in: mesic ravine forest.
Mesic ravine forest — selected native associates: Geranium maculatum, Phlox divaricata, Asarum canadense.
These plants share a recorded habitat; they were not necessarily found in the same small plot.
Other documented plant associations
These published associations show how this plant fits into natural vegetation. The region and community are identified for each list; moisture, shade and flooding can differ within a community.
Forest understory
Unglaciated southern Indiana
Understory tree associates
Central States southward
Other regional plant communities
These plants are named with this species in published vegetation accounts. Each list keeps its community and region; some records describe a shared vegetation type rather than neighboring plants in a measured plot. They are ecological records, not a planting recipe, and may include plants unsuitable for a particular garden.
- Pawpaw tree associates (Eastern North America; account synthesis): Nyssa sylvatica, Aesculus glabra, Gleditsia triacanthus, Gymnocladus dioica.
- Hardwood-forest understory (Northern part of American hornbeam range): Carpinus caroliniana.
Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
State nativity describes a broad range. Use the Chicago-region assessment for local context; a state listing does not establish county nativity.
| Wetland indicator — NWPL 2022 Midwest | FAC |
|---|---|
| C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 | 10 |
| Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 | Yes |
| Native range — U.S. states | Alabama; Arkansas; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Michigan; Mississippi; Missouri; Nebraska; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; West Virginia; Wisconsin |
| County nativity | Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity. |
Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlife
Caterpillars & other plant-feeding insects
This plant has published caterpillar host records for the butterflies and moths listed below. These are larval feeding relationships, separate from adult nectar visits. The records span a North American literature compilation and do not establish that every insect occurs locally or uses only this plant.
Butterflies & skippers
- Eurytides marcellus — Zebra Swallowtail
Moths
- Acharia stimulea — Saddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Adoneta spinuloides — Purple-Crested Slug
- Choristoneura obsoletana — Obsolete Leafroller
- Dichrorampha sedatana
- Omphalocera cariosa — Moonseed Webworm
- Omphalocera munroei — Asimina Webworm
- Parasa indetermina — Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth, Rose Slug Caterpillar
- Prolimacodes badia — Skiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
- Synanthedon tipuliformis — Currant Clearwing, Currant Borer (listed as introduced in the source)
Other insect & wildlife relationships
Caterpillars this plant can feed
Zebra Swallowtail.
- Pollination: Flies and beetles pollinate the flowers.
- Fruit: Fruit is eaten by songbirds, wild turkeys, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, black bears and foxes.
Additional published species records; Illinois insect occurrence is not established by this account. These records do not guarantee that every insect occurs at your planting site.
Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions
What are the ideal growing conditions for Paw Paw or Pawpaw?
Light: Partial sun to light shade. Soil moisture: Moist to mesic.
How do I germinate and establish Paw Paw or Pawpaw from seed?
USDA lists cold stratification as required; duration is not specified.
Is Paw Paw or Pawpaw deer and herbivore resistant?
Deer generally avoid the foliage in this account. Even plants described as resistant may be browsed. Use physical protection where deer damage is a concern.
When should I expect Paw Paw or Pawpaw to bloom?
Typical flowering period: Mid- to late spring. Timing varies with location and weather.
Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes
Illinois woodland records: Larimore, Phillippe & Ebinger (2008), Middle Fork Woods flora, Appendix I. © 2008 University of Illinois Board of Trustees, CC BY 4.0. Habitat records transcribed, selected and linked to catalog names by Natural Communities. Survey: 1999–2002.
Native range & ecological ratings: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), via Universal FQA; USACE Chicago FQA (2017); Kew WCVP / Plants of the World Online; USACE National Wetland Plant List.
Growing conditions & other references: Illinois Wildflowers, John Hilty; USDA Forest Service: american hornbeam; USDA Forest Service: black maple; USDA Forest Service: Asimina triloba; USDA Forest Service: Carpinus caroliniana; USDA NRCS PLANTS; USDA Forest Service: species review; NC State Extension Plant Toolbox.
Wildlife records: Shropshire & Tallamy: caterpillar hosts (2025).
Native range does not identify the origin of the seed or plants offered. Community and wildlife records apply to the locations and conditions described.
Research notes & credits
USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication. Retained for comparison; the displayed C-value follows Flora database 80.
Range data: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; 4 June 2026 release, accessed 7 September 2026. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data. This use has no Kew endorsement.
Caterpillar host records: Shropshire, K.J. & Tallamy, D.W. (2025), Lepidoptera of North America, Supplement 1. Contains information from this database made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). Natural Communities selected species-level records and screened source qualifications. The complete selection and transformation instructions for this page are available below under the same license.
Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.
Caterpillar research records
Plant: Asimina triloba
Record scope: Host literature synthesis; no county nativity or local insect occurrence inferred.
Shropshire & Tallamy (2025) · Original research dataset · Reuse license: ODbL-1.0
| Plant names in the source | Source insect record IDs |
|---|---|
| Asimina triloba | 200078, 200402, 202933, 204097, 205649, 209051, 209052, 209454, 210452, 212182 |
How these records were selected
To reproduce this selection, use the “UDELep May 2025” worksheet in the original research dataset.
- Match the insect record IDs above to column A (UDLepID). Within each table row, pair every listed insect ID with every listed source plant name.
- Use the first two words in column H for the insect’s scientific name, column E for its common name, and column AB for its source category.
- Treat the selected pairs as reported caterpillar host records. Keep all other source fields unchanged and outside this selected table. Include no other rows or host pairs.
- Group butterflies and skippers together, and the other categories as moths. Retain the source’s exotic-category labels and sort display names by scientific insect name.
Growing guidance: Illinois Extension — Keeping deer out of the yard and garden. Selected facts in original wording. General deer advice is not a species resistance rating.
Plant Shipping & Care
Plant Shipping & Care
We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.
As a reminder, you will receive an email to confirm your pickup or shipping window just before the plants are ready. See Order Fulfillment below for seasonal fulfillment windows.
Choices to Receive Your Plants & Accessories
- Website orders: Seed, plugs and bare-root plants offered for shipping are shipped to your address. Shipping charges are calculated at checkout.
- Container trees and shrubs: Some #3 and #5 container options are offered for scheduled pickup only. Check the selected product option and the cart pickup instructions before ordering. Pickup and shipped items require separate orders where indicated in the cart.
- Wholesale orders: Delivery and pickup are arranged separately according to the order, supplier yard and location. Wholesale pickup is free.
- Pickup locations and dates are confirmed by email. Please wait for confirmation before traveling to a pickup site. Our offices are not retail stores or nursery pickup locations.
Order Fulfilment - When Your Plants or Other Items Will Be Ready
We take orders all year long and seed is shipped all year, but we only provide the plants to you in certain fulfillment windows to ensure healthy plants.
Wholesale Orders
- Shipped or are Ready For Pick Up As Requested.
Retail & Website Orders
- Seed Typically Ships Out Within One Week Of Order All Year Long
- Typically, single species flats ship when ready, sometimes as soon as early to mid-April (depends on weather) through early-October.
- Mixed species kits are batched and shipped as indicated on the product page.
- If a plant order is placed while outside of the plant fulfillment window your plants will be reserved through your payment, however, the order will not be fulfilled and shipped until the following spring. We don't want to provide you plants when they won't be happy during the cold winter months.
- Early in the spring and later in the fall certain species may be dormant or partially dormant with brown leaves, however they will return to grow healthy next growing season.
- Your order may arrive in several different shipments.
- If certain plants within an order will not be available until a later date, we may choose to hold the full order until all are ready. In certain circumstances, we may choose to send them in two separate shipments
- Fulfillment is always dependent upon plant availability. We try our best but sometimes plants do not overwinter well and perish. If a plant is on back order you will receive an email indicating the estimated shipping date. If we can not provide the plant we will first notify you and give you an option of substitution or a refund of that individual species.
- Plants are typically only packaged and shipped on Mondays to ensure they do not sit in the harsh delivery facility for extended periods of time over the weekend. You will receive a confirmation email once your delivery has been shipped and to estimate your delivery date.
- Apparel & accessories are ready typically within one to two weeks. See product page for holiday shipping.
Where We Ship
What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery
- Your plants will be packaged with the utmost care
- We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.
Shipments
- Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.
What to Do With Your Plants After Receiving Your Delivery
- Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
- Inspect for damage and report any issues immediately to Natives@NaturalCommunities.net
- Water your plants
- Install your plants as quickly as possible and water the entire garden area thoroughly
- If you cannot install your plants immediately
- Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
- Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
- Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
- No additional fertilizer is needed
Seed Shipping & Care
Seed Shipping & Care
There is a minimum order requirement of $30 for each seed species. Seed ships all year and typically ships within a week of an order being placed.
We have attempted to put together some basic information regarding native seed installation, establishment, and maintenance. We hope you find it helpful. If you need further assistance on native seed establishment, please schedule a free consolation call here.
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