The large, fleshy fruits of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) should be ripening soon—a boon to wildlife, including opossums, raccoons, foxes, and box turtles. Some people, too, find the fruits delicious, while other people dislike them. The taste has variously been described as resembling custard, banana, and papaya. The flowers that led to the fruits bloomed this past spring. With their reddish-brown color, they can easily be overlooked by humans, but flies take notice, attracted by both the color and the slightly fetid odor. Pawpaw leaves are large and tropical looking, which is not surprising because Pawpaw belongs to a family (the Annonaceae) that is primarily tropical. The leaves contain a powerful insecticide, so are bothered by few insect pests. They are also not bothered by deer, so Pawpaw often thrives in forests in which other plants have succumbed to deer browse. The leaves contain a chemical that seems to have promising anti-cancer properties. Although Pawpaw is a shrub or small tree, it can grow to fairly large size, as shown in the photo included here. Photo credits: Flower—Keith Sanderson Large Pawpaw tree (in rich woods along C&O Canal towpath between Lockhouse 10 and American Legion Bridge, Montgomery County, MD)--R.H. Simmons Fruits—Prince William Wildflower Society, VA
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 03:45:37 +0000
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