Florida Forest Plants

Pawpaw  (Asimina incarna)

Pawpaw belongs to the Annonaceae family, which is known for having a distinct pungent smell when the leaves are crushed. The pawpaw habitat consists of well-drained sandy soils, longleaf pine-scrub oak ridges, old fields, and pine flatwoods where little or no saw palmetto occurs. It ranges from southeastern Georgia to central Florida.

Pawpaw is used for landscaping because it has large leaves, attractive form, and fragrant flowers.

  

Historically the ripe pulp of the fruits was used by the early settlers to make yellow dye. It is part of the diets of raccoons, opossums, squirrels, bears, and turkeys.

 Identifying Characteristics
Size/Form:
 Pawpaw is a shrub that reaches heights of 5'.
Leaves:
 The leaves are simple, alternately arranged, deciduous, and 1½" to 4" long by ¾" to 2¼" wide. The narrow elliptical shaped leaves usually have fuzzy upper surfaces while the underneath surface is veiny and also fuzzy. The leaf base is wedged to rounded and the leaf tip is rounded. The leaf margin is smooth.
Flowers:
 The flowers have outer white petals and inner cream-colored petals.
Fruit:
 The fruit is a yellow-green berry when ripe that is oblong shaped, 3" long, and irregularly bulging.
Stem:
 The grayish-brown stem may be covered by a thin, fuzz layer.
Habitat:
 Pawpaw grows in the well-drained sandy soil ridges of longleaf pine-scrub oak, old fields, and pine flatwoods where little or no saw palmetto occurs.


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