Paw Paw Today

The skin and seeds are not edible. The fruit can be eaten raw, or used in custards, smoothies, and ice cream.

Ripe fruit should be picked from the ground, as they do not ripen well after being picked early.

Focus on planting native pawpaws to support biodiversity and the zebra swallowtail butterfly. PAW PAW

The tree is essential for biodiversity, serving as the sole host plant for the zebra swallowtail butterfly . Culinary and Foraging Tips:

Ripe pawpaws fall to the ground in late summer or early fall (September/October). The skin and seeds are not edible

Pawpaws are fragile, bruise easily, and do not ship well, which is why they are rarely found in grocery stores. Potential Essay Angles:

Pawpaws are small, deciduous understory trees producing oblong green-to-brown fruit with a creamy, custard-like texture. They taste like a blend of banana, mango, vanilla, and pineapple. Focus on planting native pawpaws to support biodiversity

Thriving in moist, rich bottomland forests, they are native to 26 U.S. states, ranging from the Great Lakes down to the Florida Panhandle and west to Nebraska. They grow well in shade as saplings but require full sun to produce fruit.